Texas Rangers’ Catcher Mitch Garver Placed on Injured List with Sandy León Called Up
In a surprising turn of events, the Texas Rangers announced on Monday that catcher Mitch Garver was moved to the 10-day injured list with a mild left knee sprain. Garver, who has battled injuries throughout his career, missed most of last season with a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. This latest setback is a blow for the Rangers, who were counting on him to be a key contributor this season.
To replace Garver on the active roster, the Rangers have called up Sandy León from Triple-A Round Rock. León, a lifetime .210 hitter, was with the Rangers in Spring Training and was designated to Round Rock at the end of camp. He will be expected to fill in behind the plate and provide some offensive production in Garver’s absence.
In a corresponding move, the Rangers have moved pitcher Spencer Howard from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Howard has a right lat strain and has been out of action since early March. The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of catcher Sandy León.
Howard’s absence has been felt by the Rangers, who are 10-16 without him. In 10 games (eight starts) with Texas in 2022, Howard has struggled, going 2-4 with a 7.41 ERA. The team is hopeful that he will be able to return to the mound later in the season.
The Rangers will need to find a way to weather the storm without Garver and Howard in the lineup. With games scheduled until early October, they will need to rely on the rest of their roster to step up and fill the void left by these key players.
In the meantime, all eyes will be on Sandy León as he makes his return to the big leagues. With Garver out of commission, he will have an opportunity to prove that he belongs on the roster and can help the Rangers compete at a high level.