The Texas Rangers’ injured list reads like a reunion of their 2023 World Series championship roster.
Key players like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Evan Carter, and Adolis García are all currently sidelined. On the pitching side, they’re missing top arms such as Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Josh Sborz, and Cody Bradford — all crucial to their past October success.
Despite those major setbacks, manager Bruce Bochy and the Rangers just swept the Milwaukee Brewers, owners of MLB’s best record. Before that, they took two out of three from the Houston Astros, the current leaders of the AL West.
Now sitting seven games above .500 for the first time this year, the Rangers are just 2.5 games out in the division and one game back in the AL Wild Card race. How are they managing this? A mix of grit, depth, and unlikely heroes. For example, Michael Helman, a career minor leaguer and recent waiver pickup, made a huge impact in the Brewers series — hitting a grand slam and robbing a home run on defense.
While there’s hope that Seager could return before season’s end and Garcia might be able to swing a bat soon, others — including Semien, Carter, Eovaldi, and Gray — are likely done for the year.
According to Baseball Prospectus, the Rangers rank among the top six teams in terms of lost value due to injuries in 2025. Only the Astros, Orioles, Red Sox, Brewers, Marlins, and Yankees have been hit harder. Yet unlike many teams, the Rangers’ injuries are peaking at the worst possible time: with just over two weeks left in the regular season.
Still, Bochy isn’t looking for pity:
“Every team deals with injuries,” he said. “It comes down to depth. We’re not using it as an excuse. Things haven’t gone as planned, but we’re still in it.”
Interestingly, the Rangers’ run differential suggests they should be closer to 20 games over .500, not just seven. Their offense has surged in the second half of the season, and a patchwork bullpen has done just enough to keep them afloat. While the lineup struggled early — due to slumps and injuries — they never fell more than six games below .500, avoiding a major hole to climb out of.
Helping their case is a somewhat weak American League. The top AL teams have serious flaws, and none seem particularly dominant. Some believe the National League is far stronger and might even be positioned for a rare all-NL World Series matchup.
Still, don’t count out the Rangers. If stars like Jacob deGrom can maintain form and Seager returns swinging, Texas could be a serious postseason threat.
They’ve proven they have the fight — now it’s just a matter of finishing the race.
