Choice out of lineup in National League ballpark

WASHINGTON -- Shin-Soo Choo's ankle was good enough to start in left field on Saturday vs. the Nationals despite the quick turnaround from a night game. That meant Michael Choice was on the bench for the second straight game with no designated hitter being used in the National League city.

Choice has become a regular ever since Prince Fielder was lost for the season with a herniated disk in his neck. Fielder's last game was on May 16 against the Blue Jays. After that, Choice started 11 of 12 games before having to sit against the Nats.

"It helps being in there every day and get a better feel for what they are trying to do to you," Choice said. "I feel fine, but it's hard to ride a hot streak when you don't get a chance to ride it. But it is what it is."

The regular playing time has helped Choice, as he has six hits in his last 19 at-bats, raising his batting average from .190 to .210. He also has one RBI for every 6.26 at-bats. That's the highest ratio among 12 Rangers players with at least 60 at-bats this season.

"That is what I have been trying to do," Choice said. "It's hard to get a hit every time up. The main goal is when you have runners on base, just do whatever you can to get them in. If you're hitting .330 but with just two RBIs, that's not going to do your team any good either."