Yu Darvish, Adrian Beltre sustain injuries
The Texas Rangers are battling for the American League West, but may have sustained a pair of setbacks.
On Wednesday, everybody who roots for the Rangers held their collective breath when starting pitcher Yu Darvish exited in the fifth inning. Currently, Texas is calling the injury right shoulder stiffness and Darvish could make his next start, although that remains undetermined, according to ESPN.
Of course, Darvish had Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2015 and so the cause for concern is raised. Without him, the Rangers would be thin in the starting rotation behind Cole Hamels, who has been one of the best hurlers of 2016.
Meanwhile, third baseman Adrian Beltre appears to pull a hamstring and left the game. It is unknown how bad the injury is or when he will be back, but his loss would be significant both in the field and at the plate. Beltre is an elite fielder and hitting .271 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI this season.
Texas is currently leading the AL West by three games over the Seattle Mariners and eight games over the struggling Houston Astros. Last year, the Rangers won the division but lost in the AL Division Series to the Toronto Blue Jays in a memorable five-game series.