Texas Rangers’ outfielder Alex Rios is a candidate to be traded at this month’s deadline. Right-handed power can be one of the toughest things to find in baseball, and while Rios is not overwhelming anybody with his power this season, he still represents a capable bat from that side of the plate.
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As the Rangers navigate those trade talks and decide the best course of action with Rios, they might be without him in the lineup for a few days. He injured his right ankle during Saturday’s contest against the Toronto Blue Jays and he is considered day to day.
According to Chris Toman of MLB.com:
"Alex Rios was forced to leave Saturday’s game in the middle of his first-inning at-bat after he rolled his right ankle on the follow-through of his swing. He’s listed as day to day with a sprained ankle, and X-rays were negative."
Interestingly enough this injury happened on a swing rather than during an attempted play in the field. The Rangers are playing at the Rogers Centre this weekend, after all, which is kind of like playing the outfield in a parking lot.
Presuming Rios is only out a day or two, he should still attract interest from teams in search of offense at the deadline. On the season he is batting .302/.330/.435 with four home runs, 42 RBI and an impressive eight triples. An MVP candidate he is not, but that is certainly the kind of production that could put the right playoff contender over the hump offensively.