Back in the bigs, Odor does not disappoint

ARLINGTON -- This is the Rougned Odor the Rangers wanted to see.

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In his first Major League game since being optioned to Triple-A on May 11, Odor went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in a 4-1 win against the Dodgers on Monday.

Odor' sixth-inning single to the opposite field drove in two runs and was crucial in allowing the Rangers to cruise into the late innings with a comfortable lead.

"How about the young man coming back, first night, with three hits?" Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "But more importantly, the big one. Something that we didn't see him do the first go-around in driving through that [opposite field] and staying on the ball well."

Video: LAD@TEX: Odor singles in a pair to extend the lead

Odor was the Rangers' Opening Day second baseman, but was optioned to Triple-A after hitting .144 in 29 games. In addition to problematic plate discipline, there were also concerns about his defense. But Odor seemed to answer those, too.

He helped the Rangers escape a jam in the sixth inning when he started an impressive double play with an aggressive charge on a slow-hit ball and delivered a quick toss to second base. He also ended the game by staying down on a sharply hit ball he fielded positioned in the grass.

"Tremendous job by our development people working with this kid," Banister said. "To get him back up here, night one, you just see the adjustments, and it paid off for us."

Odor was coming off a remarkable rise in Triple-A Round Rock. He hit .352 with five home runs in 30 games and had a streak of eight straight multi-hit games. His play forced the Rangers' hand to recall him despite it creating several moving parts in the lineup. With Odor reclaiming his spot at second, Hanser Alberto moved to third and Joey Gallo headed to left field with Delino DeShields on the DL.

Odor said he worked on every aspect of his game in the Minors. He said he's not a different player -- he's still an aggressive hitter -- but he developed a better approach at the plate and improved his confidence in the field. The only hard part for Odor was working through failure for the first time in his career. But he was able to do that, and that aspect made Monday's return a welcome reward.

"I feel good in everything right now," Odor said. "This is great for me, to play like I played today."