Duran is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Cardinals.
Duran has now started three of five contests since returning from the injured list. The Rangers will go with Josh Smith in left field and Jonah Heim at designated hitter while Sandy Leon catches for starting pitcher Jon Gray.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Three hits Tuesday
Rotowire
Duran went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.
Duran notched a trio of base hits, marking his fourth three-hit effort of the season. The 24-year-old started at shortstop Tuesday after he played left field in his other two starts since coming off the injured list Saturday. His versatility in the field along with his plate skills have allowed him to play in a near-everyday role in the league's top run-scoring offense, though he's been consistently slotted in at the bottom third of the Rangers' lineup. Duran is now slashing .322/.374/.531 with seven homers, 24 RBI, 23 runs and an 8:35 BB:K over 155 plate appearances.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
Prior to his brief stint on the IL with oblique discomfort, Ezequiel Duran had established himself as a fixture in the Rangers lineup. It began with him filling in for an injured Corey Seager and continued with him picking up starts at DH and left field following Seager's return. Through it all, Duran hit for average and power, with data that fully backed up the production (he has a .298 xBA and .535 xSLG). The one thing missing from his game was even just a modicum of plate discipline. He had only four walks through 40 games. Well, now he's back from that oblique discomfort, and guess what? He already has four walks in three games. Better yet, he's 5 for 7. The dude is eligible at three positions, and like I said, the data backs up everything. Pick him up already.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Back in lineup Monday
Rotowire
Duran (tightness) will start in left field and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Cardinals.
Though the Rangers attributed Duran's absence from the lineup for Sunday's 12-3 win over the Mariners to unspecified tightness, the expectation was that the 24-year-old was receiving more of a maintenance day after he returned from the injured list to start in left field in Saturday's win. Now that he's healthy again following a brief stint on the IL, Duran should take back a near-everyday role in either left field or at designated hitter, given that he's produced an impressive .872 OPS in 147 plate appearances this season.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Managing tightness
Rotowire
Duran is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners while managing some "tightness," but his absence appears to be mostly precautionary, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Rangers haven't clarified whether Duran's tightness is related to the mild right oblique discomfort that briefly kept him on the injured list until he was activated Saturday. He picked up a start in left field in Saturday's 16-6 win, going 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs before he was lifted from the game in the top of the seventh inning with Texas leading by seven runs. Duran should still be viewed as day-to-day, but he appears likely to be back in the lineup for Monday's series opener with the Cardinals.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: On base three times in return
Rotowire
Duran started in left field and went 1-for-1 with two walks in Saturday's 16-6 win over the Mariners.
Duran was activated off the injured list, and the Rangers put his dangerous bat in the lineup. He slashed .301/.346/.921 with five home runs, five doubles, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored during the month of May before hitting the IL. He's in a crowded mix for at-bats in left field and at DH.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Activated, in lineup Saturday
Rotowire
Duran (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday.
Duran is starting in left field and batting eighth Saturday against the Mariners after making a swift recovery from a right oblique injury. The 24-year-old has put up an impressive .301/.340/.515 slash line with seven home runs and three stolen bases in 40 games (144 plate appearances) this season with the Rangers.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Heads to IL with oblique discomfort
Rotowire
The Rangers placed Duran on the 10-day injured list Saturday with mild right oblique discomfort.
Duran was already set to miss a third consecutive game Saturday in Baltimore due to the injury, and with his injury evidently being viewed as more than a day-to-day concern, the Rangers opted to deactivate him. The transaction is retroactive to Wednesday, meaning that the 24-year-old is eligible to return June 3. Josh Smith or the newly activated Travis Jankowski (hamstring) are the top candidates to replace Duran's spot in the Rangers' everyday lineup.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Remains out of lineup
Rotowire
Duran (rib) is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Orioles.
Duran will miss a third consecutive game as he nurses a rib injury. Manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that a decision will be made in the next day or so regarding a potential stint on the injury list for the 24-year-old. Robbie Grossman will draw the start at designated hitter while Josh Smith remains in the lineup in left field, batting seventh against Baltimore.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Decision looming this weekend
Rotowire
The Rangers will continue to evaluate Duran (rib) over the weekend, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy said he'll make a call "one way or another" Saturday or Sunday, which likely means a decision about Duran going on the injured list. Duran missed the last two games, clearing a path for Josh Smith to enter the starting lineup.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Held out again Friday
Rotowire
Duran (rib) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game in Baltimore.
Duran will miss a second straight contest as he battles rib cage soreness. He is considered day-to-day. Robbie Grossman will be the Rangers' designated hitter Friday and Josh Smith will cover left field.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Dealing with rib soreness
Rotowire
Duran is absent from the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates as he nurses rib cage soreness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Duran was replaced by Brad Miller at the plate in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 6-1 win, and now an explanation behind Duran's departure is known. The 23-year-old believes he's OK, so he can be considered day-to-day heading into the Rangers' series with Baltimore that begins Friday.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Breather Monday
Rotowire
Duran is not in the starting lineup Monday versus the Pirates.
Duran will get a day off after he went 5-for-9 with a homer, a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base over the three-game series with the Rockies. Duran has quickly become a regular in the Rangers' lineups, batting .314 with five home runs, five doubles, 11 RBI, 13 runs scored and a stolen base over 70 at-bats in 18 games in May. Josh Smith will take over at designated hitter and bat eighth in the series opener with Pittsburgh.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
Duran did such a good job filling in for an injured Corey Seager that the Rangers are finding ways to keep him in the lineup even now that Seager is back, so far by having the two alternate between shortstop and designated hitter. In fact, Duran still has yet to sit out a game for the entire month of May, batting .336 (38 for 113) with seven homers, three steals and a .973 OPS in his past 30 games. Even if the Rangers need to free up their DH spot in the weeks ahead, they showed a willingness to play Duran in the outfield prior to Seager's injury, giving him eligibility there as well as at third base. If you've thus far passed up Duran's versatility and hot hitting, presuming Seager would eventually displace him, you should probably stop now.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Swats seventh homer
Rotowire
Duran went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 11-5 win over the Rockies.
After contributing an RBI single to the Rangers' four-run first inning, Duran slugged a no-doubter to left field in the fifth off Fernando Abad for his seventh homer of the year. The 23-year-old has been inserted as the DH in two straight games with Corey Seager back at shortstop, and it looks like Bruce Bochy will try to keep Duran's bat in the lineup on an everyday basis -- a fairly easy decision for the manager considering Duran's .328/.366/.627 slash line in May.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Perfect day at plate
Rotowire
Duran went 3-for-3 with a double and a stolen base during Friday's win over the Rockies.
Duran was perfect at the dish Friday and collected his first three-hit game since May 2. He boosted his slash line to .307/.343/.512 with three steals and 14 extra-base hits through 134 plate appearances this season. The 23-year-old has picked up six of those extra-base knocks over his last seven games.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Gets another day at short
Rotowire
Duran started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-4 win over Atlanta.
Duran's run at shortstop was expected to end Tuesday, but he received a stay when Corey Seager (hamstring) developed a stomach bug and was not activated. Whenever Seager is ready -- the hamstring no longer appears to be an issue -- manager Bruce Bochy will need to find a spot for Duran, who is hitting .301 (22-for-73) with five home runs, three doubles, 14 RBI and 12 runs scored over the last 18 games.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Homers Saturday
Rotowire
Duran went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Athletics.
Duran's two-run shot in the ninth inning provided insurance and allowed manager Bruce Bochy to avoid using closer Will Smith, who's worked a lot this week. It was Duran's fifth homer in 32 games, equaling the number he hit last season over 58 games. He's been starting at shortstop for the injured Corey Seager (hamstring), but the latter played in his third rehab game Saturday and could return as soon as Monday. That means Bochy will have to find a spot for Duran's hot bat, presumably in left field.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Possible waiver wire pickups
Rotowire
Duran has made it so the Rangers hardly miss Corey Seager, batting .369 (24 for 65) with four home runs and two stolen bases in his past 17 games. Recent reports suggest Seager (hamstring) is only about a week away from returning to game action, so it may seem like a waste to pursue Duran now. But the second-year player has likely positioned himself to get extensive playing time in left field after Seager returns. He has his flaws as a hitter, as exemplified by him having only one walk so far, but he's emerging as the same sort of power/speed threat he was in the minors. And the triple eligibility (outfield, shortstop, third base) could certainly come in handy.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Clubs fourth homer
Rotowire
Duran went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and three strikeouts in Sunday's 16-8 win over the Angels.
Duran got the Rangers on the board with his blast in the second inning. This was his fifth multi-hit effort in his last nine games, a span in which he has three homers, 10 RBI and a 0:7 BB:K. The infielder raised his slash line to .318/.348/.506 with four homers, 16 RBI, 12 runs scored and two stolen bases through 26 contests this season. He hasn't had a major issue with strikeouts, fanning at a 24.7 percent rate, but he's also drawn just one walk this season.
