Every couple of years it seems there will be an injury to an American League pitcher on the basepaths and it'll give rise to calls for the designated hitter in both leagues. The most recent incident came Sunday, as Rangers starter Alexi Ogando suffered a groin injury on a bunt single and had to leave the team's game in San Francisco.
Ogando, filling in for the injured Derek Holland, was making his first start since September of 2011, had thrown three perfect innings when he singled on a bunt past Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Another pitcher, Matt Harrison, came in to run for Ogando before lefty Robbie Ross came into the game to pitch the fourth.
Surely there will be calls for MLB-wide designated hitter after this -- there was four years ago when Chien-Ming Wang, then of the Yankees, suffered a torn ligament in his right foot, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner blasted the National League rules requiring baseball players to play baseball at the time.
There will be Ranger fans and others making the same cry this injury, but the idea of shielding professional athletes from running seems just as silly to me now as it did then.
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Rangers' Alexi Ogando suffers groin injury running to first
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