The Texas Rangers made one of the more unexpected moves of this past offseason when they traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for left fielder Brandon Nimmo.
Although it is still only April, it is safe to say the Rangers are pleased with the early return. In his first season in Texas, Nimmo has fit perfectly into the lineup, posting a .287 batting average, .358 on-base percentage, .817 OPS, four home runs and 12 RBIs through 30 games.
The 33‑year‑old veteran has been a reliable presence at the top of the order and has done everything he can to help the Rangers stay competitive. Unfortunately, they entered Wednesday having lost seven of their last 10 games, including the first two of their three‑game set against the New York Yankees.
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Nimmo was again doing his part to help Texas avoid a sweep. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he legged out an infield single to load the bases.
But in the process, he may have injured himself. Nimmo advanced to second on a Josh Jung single, but when he trotted to third base a couple of batters later, he was clearly in discomfort.
Trainers checked on him, and he was removed from the game shortly after. Sam Haggerty pinch-ran and took over the vacated outfield spot in the top half of the sixth.
Moments later, the Rangers announced the reason for Nimmo’s early exit. “Brandon Nimmo exited the game with right hamstring tightness. #Rangers,” reported Jeff Wilson of DFW Sports.
It is an unfortunate development for a Rangers team already without another key outfielder in Wyatt Langford. The severity of Nimmo’s hamstring tightness remains unclear, and he will likely undergo further evaluation to determine whether a stint on the injured list is necessary.
Texas has enough depth in the outfield, but losing Nimmo for any stretch would be a significant blow, and the Rangers can only hope this latest issue is not anything serious.
