Rangers excuse 3B Beltre from workout, resting lower back strain sustained in

“He had been up one time before when Adrian had gone down, he played a few shortstop for us, second base, a few third base and had gone down to play and we felt like it was time to get him back up, to get him acclimated into the major league end of it”.

Beltre has already been ruled out for Game 2, which is no surprise given the fact it starts 18 hours after Game 1 ended, but his MRI revealed no structural damage and he’s going to be getting treatment around the clock for the next two days with hopes of playing on Sunday night back in Arlington.

Adrian Beltre stayed home Saturday, resting his strained lower back and taking medications. He was 3-1 with a 4.04 ERA in six starts at home this season, winning three in a row.

The Rangers are encouraging the sell-out crowd for Game 3 to arrive to Globe Life Park early Sunday and to share a ride with a friend. He has never faced the Blue Jays. He will be reevaluated before Game 3 as the Rangers try to clinch the series. Of his 12 outs, eight were right-handed hitters. “Guys like that play hard and will themselves to do special things”. The last time he pitched in Houston, he allowed eight hits and five runs in five innings of a 6-5 loss on July 1. “That’s what he is, he goes out and competes”, manager Jeff Banister said. “That’s what a front-line pitcher does”.

Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is not in the lineup for Friday’s Game 2 of the AL Division Series after suffering a back strain during the series opener. Donaldson, attempting to break up a double play on a ground ball by Bautista with runners on first and second in the fourth, popped up in his slide and caught a knee to the side of the head from Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor.

Rookie Hanser Alberto took over for Beltre at third base, made an error and also drove in two runs.

While Beltre was seen during the Rangers’ 14-inning victory Friday with a bat in his hand, and took a few swings in the tunnel, he never entered the game. “I don’t know the AC… set on 71”. “Look, I never put anything past Beltre, what he’s capable of doing”.