Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus is working his way back from forearm tightness this spring and will soon make his return to the diamond, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Jeff Wilson on Twitter:
If Andrus can return to the field in seven days, he’ll have an excellent shot to be available in time for the Rangers’ regular-season opener, which is scheduled for March 31 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
He has appeared in 12 spring training games this spring, batting .314 with four RBI. He recently talked about the injury and pointed to his offseason regimen as a potential cause, per The Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant: “I was resting a lot. That was my main thing. This is really the first time this has happened. But I’ll learn from my mistake and work my arm more…I want to start throwing, but I want to be careful, too.”
The 25-year-old Venezuelan has spent the past five seasons with Texas, batting .274 with 264 RBI and 18 home runs over that time. The two-time MLB All-Star has also made 34 postseason appearances for the Rangers since making his major league debut in 2009.
Although he has a few more obstacles to overcome before he can return to the field and help the Rangers begin their pursuit of a World Series championship, the latest news is encouraging.
With spring training winding down and the regular season on the horizon, Andrus and the Rangers can ill afford a setback. Therefore, a patient approach makes the most sense for both the player and the club.
After all, Andrus has been a durable player over the past five years, playing in at least 150 regular-season games in each of the past three seasons and appearing in at least 145 regular-season games in every season since 2009.
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