The Texas Rangers have Mike Napoli and Carlos Gomez putting in rehab work with Double-A Frisco. Both players are on the disabled list and are with the RoughRiders to work through their injuries. Thursday was the first appearance for Napoli, the second for Gomez. Both players say they feel fine and are hoping to be activated Friday.
Mike Napoli, on the 10-day disabled list with back soreness, went 0-4 in Thursday’s outing with Double-A Frisco. He struck out twice, grounded out, and reached second on a catching error by the defense. He took hard swings and didn’t appear to hesitate or hold back. His cuts were solid. On the error, he rounded first base well and didn’t appear to have any issues running or cutting across the bag once he was on base.
When I spoke to Napoli after the game, he said: “I feel fine. I was able to run pretty decent,” and continued with “I feel 100% healthy.” When asked if he felt like he needed more time with the Double-A club, he stated: “I’m ready.”
Napoli discussed what exactly happened with his injury, saying that his back “just spasmed up” and he was playing through it. Finally, he decided to get an MRI and try to fix the issue, instead of simply battling through it.
Carlos Gomez has been on the disabled list since May 16, due to a right hamstring issue. He made his second rehab appearance Thursday. In his first outing, he went 0-3 with three flyouts. He also recorded a defensive assist. In Thursday’s game, Gomez launched a deep lead-off home run in the first inning. He ended the night 1-3, with one homer, two RBIs, HBP, and a run. The hit by pitch was just a brush. It barely grazed his side and is nothing to be concerned with.
Gomez caught three flyouts in center field. They were all routine, but he still showed a good eye for locating the ball and was able to position himself well for each catch. More notably, Gomez fielded a few singles. The soft-hit singles are where he showed how well he has been recovering. He changed directions well and showed no issue running in the outfield.
In the post-game interview, Gomez felt very comfortable with his condition. “I was breaking really good at soft balls. My leg feels normal, I feel really good. I’m not looking for results, just seeing how I feel.” He discussed what it’s been like to be away from the Rangers for this extended period. “The last month has been really, really tough. I’ve been watching and I can’t do anything about it.”
Both Mike Napoli and Carlos Gomez seem confident in returning to the Texas Rangers soon.