Rangers activate RHP Bartolo Colon and outfielder Delino DeShields
The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has activated right-handed pitcher Bartolo Colon and outfielder Delino DeShields from the 10-day disabled list. The team has also recalled left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis (#50) from Triple-A Round Rock.
Colon was placed on the disabled list on August 24, retroactive to August 21, with a lower back strain. Colon took the loss in his last start on August 20 at Oakland, when he pitched on extra rest after enduring back issues during the club's last homestand. He has a 7-11 record with a 5.45 ERA over 25 games/23 starts for the Rangers this season. With career win no. 246 on August 7 against Seattle, he passed Dennis Martinez for most victories by a native of Latin America in Major League Baseball history.
DeShields was placed on the disabled list on August 17 with a fracture of the tip of his right middle finger. He sustained the injured finger on an attempted bunt in the 7th inning of the club's game on August 16 against the Angels. DeShields went 2-for-11 with 6 walks and 2 stolen bases on a 4-game injury rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Frisco from Tuesday through Friday. He made 3 starts in center field and one as the designated hitter. DeShields has batted .204 with 2 home runs, 22 RBI, and a team-high 18 stolen bases over 85 games for the Rangers this season.
Curtis, 26, has gone 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA (4 ER/9.0 IP) over 9 relief appearances with Round Rock since he was received by the Rangers from the Philadelphia Phillies in an August 7 waiver claim and optioned to Triple-A. His most recent appearance was last night at Iowa (0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO, 13 pitches). Curtis was designated for assignment by Philadelphia on July 31. He posted no record with a 1.86 ERA (2 ER/9.2 IP) over 7 relief appearances spanning two stints with the Phillies this season (April 30-May 9, June 22-30), allowing 10 walks with 10 strikeouts, also making 33 relief appearances for Lehigh Valley (AAA). Overall at the major league and Triple-A levels this season, opposing batters have compiled a .193 batting average, including a .145/.253/.211/.463 slash line by left-handed hitters.
Curtis has a career 0-1 record with a 3.73 ERA across 34 relief appearances in the majors with Arizona (2016), Seattle (2017), and Philadelphia (2017-18). His last big league appearance came with the Phillies on June 29 vs. Washington (1.1 IP, 0 R).
With the addition of these three players, the Rangers now have 28 active players as part of the expanded September rosters. The club still has 39 players on the team's major league roster, along with 6 players on the 60-day disabled list.