Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo was among the MLB players who tested positive for COVID-19, the team confirmed Monday.

Gallo, who is asymptomatic, received negative results on June 27 and June 29 via nasal swap tests. However, a saliva sample given July 2 showed he was carrying the virus.

Gallo will be subject to an isolation period and must have two negative tests at least 24 hours apart before returning to the team.

The slugger was in the midst of a career year in 2019 before injuries cut his season short. Gallo finished with a .253/.389/.598 slash line, belting 22 home runs and driving in 49 runs in 70 games. He's expected to be an integral part of the Rangers' lineup in 2020, provided he is healthy enough to play.

The quality of MLB's testing, which has seemingly varied team to team, has drawn the ire of players and organizations around the sport. Several players have complained about the long time gaps between tests, despite MLB agreeing that players would be tested every other day.

At least four teams have canceled workouts after not receiving test results in a timely fashion. Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant told reporters Monday he does not feel safe in the current conditions.

"I wanted to play this year because I felt that it would be safe and I would be comfortable. Honestly, I don't really feel that way," Bryant said.

Situations like Gallo's highlight the importance of regular testing. The Rangers are apparently among the teams receiving efficient testing results, but Gallo could have infected several teammates if he were playing in a different market—some of which have seen players wait a week in between tests. 

The MLB season, which includes air travel and hotel stays for players, is set to begin July 23. 

Multiple Texas Rangers employees tested positive for COVID-19 recently, and some team employees are "terrified" for their safety, per remarks one person made to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"We are terrified for our safety. Terrified to share COVID-19, unknowingly, with an older employee, a pregnant coworker or anyone else who may have some sort of underlying condition," the employee said. "We all knew it would come to this. It was only a matter of time."

MLB is set to play a 60-game regular season beginning in late July. The season was delayed for four months by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas will be playing in brand-new Globe Life Field this year.

Per Passan, multiple employees said their managers told them working from home was not possible, though some were given exceptions. Over 100 people work in the Rangers' executive offices, with over 200 in Globe Life Park regularly.

Employees said some people were not wearing masks inside. Furthermore, the stadium saw more foot traffic when it started hosting high school graduations in May.

According to Passan, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently said sports stadiums could host fans at 50 percent capacity, which caused some concern.

"With cases on the rise, how are we planning to have fans here, keeping in mind that we need to keep our staff and players safe and healthy?" an employee said. "What procedures will be in place if fans are allowed in here?"

As for what the team will do in the immediate future, Passan offered some insight.

"The Rangers will sanitize their offices over the weekend, offer coronavirus tests to employees Monday and Tuesday and could reassess their work-from-home policy in the days thereafter," he wrote.

In a statement Friday, the Rangers acknowledged the positive tests and said they were committed to strictly enforcing safety protocols.

"The health and safety of our employees are a top priority, and the Rangers will continue to diligently enforce the pandemic protocols that are in place for front office employees at Globe Life Field. These include temperature checks upon entering the building, mandatory wearing of face coverings, and regular sanitation and cleaning of the Globe Life Field facilities."

The state of Texas has seen a rise in cases of the coronavirus. On May 25, it had 440 new cases, per the New York Times. That number ballooned to 5,473 by June 25. There have been 142,399 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 2,360 people have died.

The Texas Rangers don't plan to change their nickname despite calls asking the franchise to consider doing so.

Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune wrote Thursday the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency has a long history of "savagery, lawlessness and racism."

Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers issued a statement distancing themselves from the law enforcement agency and condemning racism:

"While we may have originally taken our name from the law enforcement agency, since 1971 the Texas Rangers Baseball Club has forged its own, independent identity. The Texas Rangers Baseball Club stands for equality. We condemn racism, bigotry and discrimination in all forms.

"To help bring about meaningful change, we are committed to listening to and supporting our communities of color. Over the past 30 years, the Texas Rangers Foundation has invested more than $45 million on programs and grants in the areas of health, education and crisis assistance for youth in our underserved communities. We go forward committed to do even more, with a renewed promise that the Texas Rangers name will represent solutions and hope for a better future for our communities."

Chapman's article also cited a new book by Doug J. Swanson, titled Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers, that outlines the organization's ugly history: "They committed war crimes. Their murders of Mexicans and Mexican Americans made them as feared on the border as the Ku Klux Klan in the South."

The call for the Rangers to change their name comes amid social unrest across the country spurred by the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks by police officers.

Recently, the city of Dallas removed a statue of former Texas Ranger E.J. Banks amid allegations of racism:   

The MLB franchise began in 1961 as the Washington Senators before relocating to Texas after the 1971 season. They changed their nickname to the Rangers for their inaugural season in the state.

Former MLB outfielder Josh Hamilton was indicted on a felony charge of injury to a child Monday after he was accused of hitting one of his daughters in September, according to court records obtained by Tom Steele of the Dallas Morning News. 

Steele spoke to Hamilton's attorneys, Daniel Lewis and Thomas Ashworth, who said he "is innocent of the charge against him and looks forward to clearing his name in court."

Hamilton faces two to 10 years in prison if he's convicted. He was released on $30,000 bond after turning himself in to police on October 30. 

Steele described what Hamilton's daughter told authorities happened:

"Hamilton started cursing and yelling after he became upset about something she said and then threw a full water bottle at her, hitting her in the chest. Then he yanked a chair from beneath her feet and threw it at her before he pulled her to the ground, the affidavit says.

"Hamilton then slung the girl over his shoulder and took her to her bedroom as she yelled that she was sorry, the affidavit says. She said he tossed her onto the bed, pinned down her head with one hand and started hitting her legs with his other hand.

"He later picked her up by her sweatshirt, ripping it, and hit her on her back, she said."

She said Hamilton then continued to berate her verbally. 

"I hope you go in front of the [expletive] Judge and tell him what a terrible dad I am so I don't have to see you anymore," Hamilton said, per the affidavit.

Hamilton's ex wife, Katie, filed a protective order on behalf of their daughter in October. The couple has two other daughters. Katie Hamilton previously had protective orders against Josh in 2005 and 2015, when the couple divorced.

Katie Hamilton said her daughters told her Josh has threatened and been violent with them on other occasions, dating back to November 2017.

Josh Hamilton spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels from 2007-2017. He has a lengthy history of drug and alcohol abuse, which threatened his baseball career at several different points.

Texas Rangers pitcher James Jones will miss the 2020 MLB season after suffering a torn patella tendon in his right knee when he tripped on one of his son's toys Monday.

TR Sullivan of MLB.com reported Jones underwent surgery Wednesday and should return for next year's spring training.

Jones won the 2019 True Ranger Award as the minor league player who best represented the "core values of the organization in a positive light both on and off the field."

The left-handed reliever posted a 2.67 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 71 strikeouts in 64 innings across the Double-A and Triple-A levels last year.

He was competing for a spot in the Rangers' bullpen for 2020 during spring training before the season was delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 31-year-old New York native had allowed just one run through 4.2 innings (1.93 ERA) across four spring outings.

Jones will become a free agent following the 2020 campaign after signing a minor league contract in January.

Texas Rangers outfielder and designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo is donating $1,000 to each of the team's 190 minor league players, according to Naver Sports in South Korea (h/t Korean baseball reporter Daniel Kim).

"I came here with nothing, but baseball has given me a lot since," Choo said of his donation, per Kim. "Minor league players are future of our organization. I just hope that they can fight through and overcome this difficult time."

Many in recent years have drawn attention to minor leaguers' low pay. PennLive.com's Daniel Gallen noted in July some players didn't earn enough from their MiLB salary to qualify above the federal poverty line of $12,490.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation by postponing the start of the 2020 season.

MLB announced Tuesday it will continue to offer financial support to minor leaguers through May 31. The league initially confirmed it planned to provide players with "a lump sum equal to the allowances that would've been paid through April 8."

The Associated Press' Ben Walker and Jake Seiner reported in February that minor leaguers are set to receive a pay raise across the board starting in 2021. The increases will range from 38 percent to 72 percent of the existing salary standards.

Texas Rangers left fielder Willie Calhoun underwent surgery to repair the broken jaw he suffered when he was hit by a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urias during a spring training matchup Sunday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Monday.

Stevenson added that the pitch traveled 95 mph. The Rangers announced Sunday the 25-year-old underwent a CT scan and examination, which determined he had a fracture.

Calhoun was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix from Surprise Stadium, Stevenson reported.

Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he hoped "they don't have to wire his mouth shut."

The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant relayed Monday that Calhoun's jaw did not have to be wired shut, along with other updates:

Rangers All-Star Joey Gallo was in the on-deck circle when Calhoun was hit.

"It's tough because I'm really, really close with Willie," Gallo told reporters. "He's one of my best friends, so to see that happen and him go down like that—it was really, really tough to see that. I just tried to be there for him and make sure he knew we were all around him and trying to help him and just praying that he's OK."

Urias told reporters he was shaken after he hit Calhoun:

Calhoun made his major league debut with Texas on Sept. 12, 2017. Last season, the California native posted a .269/.323/.524 slash line with 21 home runs and 48 RBI across 337 plate appearances in 83 games.

The Rangers will begin the 2020 regular season at the Seattle Mariners on March 26 with Calhoun expected to start the season on the injured list.

Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun was hospitalized Sunday after he was hit in the face with an errant pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Julio Urias, according to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  

The team later announced Calhoun was diagnosed with a fractured jaw. He is expected to undergo further testing on Monday.

Calhoun was struck by a 95 mph fastball and "was able to walk to a medical cart with assistance before being driven out of Surprise Stadium and taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in nearby Phoenix," per the report. 

Rangers manager Chris Woodward left the game to join Calhoun at the hospital, with bench coach Don Wakamatsu taking over in the dugout.

Per Rangers host Jared Sandler, "Urias stopped Rougned Odor as he walked off the mound and based on their non-verbal communication, appeared to communicate a message of apology and well-wishes in respects to Willie."

Calhoun, 25, has emerged as a potential core player for the Rangers after hitting .269 with 21 homers, 48 RBI and 51 runs in 83 games during the 2019 season. He blasted 16 home runs after the All-Star Break, becoming one of the positives for a Texas team that finished just 78-84 last year.

Urias, 23, made 37 appearances (eight starts) for the Dodgers in 2019, finishing 4-3 with a 2.49 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 79.2 innings. 

There is understandably a big trade market for third baseman Nolan Arenado, and the St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly held "preliminary talks" with the Colorado Rockies about a potential deal.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the news after he had reported the Texas Rangers were "not viewed as favorites" to land Arenado.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported in December that the Cardinals and Rangers were among the teams discussing a potential trade with the Rockies. Rosenthal also mentioned the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers were listed as possibilities.

Arenado has been one of the best players in all of baseball over the past few years, earning seven straight Gold Gloves and five straight All-Star selections. He has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting in each of the last five years.

The 28-year-old has also been one of the most consistent players in baseball with at least 37 home runs and 110 RBI in five straight seasons, producing a .300 batting average over this stretch.

Every team in the majors could use a player with this type of production in all phases of the game.

However, he is owed $207 million over the next six seasons. This is a hefty cost for a team that finished 71-91 last season and only has one playoff game win since 2009.

Morosi reported earlier this month there is a 50/50 chance of a trade. Six teams have reportedly checked in on the third baseman.

The Texas Rangers agreed to a deal with veteran third baseman Todd Frazier, according to the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Frazier will get $5 million guaranteed. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand provided details on the club option:

Frazier batted .251 and slugged .443 while finishing with 21 home runs and 67 RBI in 133 games for the New York Mets in 2019.

Rosenthal reported Thursday the Rangers were among the teams showing interest in Colorado Rockies star Nolan Arenado. Between assuming some or most of the $234 million left on Arenado's contract and meeting the Rockies' asking price, acquiring Arenado will require a significant investment.

According to The Athletic's Levi Weaver, the Rangers also made a competitive offer for Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $245 million over seven years:

Third base was clearly a priority for the team after it failed to find a permanent successor to Adrian Beltre, who retired after the 2018 season.

Frazier's arrival may not preclude the Rangers from pursuing another veteran to prowl the hot corner. He has some experience at first base, making 97 total appearances there over his career, per Baseball Reference. Signing with an American League team would allow him to be the designated hitter as well.

Between their pursuit of Rendon and their trade for Corey Kluber, the Rangers are aiming to turn things around after winning 78 games and finishing third in the American League West.

While Frazier provides the team with an everyday option at third, nobody should be surprised if Texas makes another big move to shore up its infield.