First base remains a revolving door

CHICAGO -- When Mike Carp started at first base on Monday night, he became the 10th player to start at the position for the Rangers this season. No other fielding position has had more than six starters for the Rangers.

It's a diverse group scattered to the wind. Prince Fielder (neck) and Mitch Moreland (foot) are out for the season, Chris Gimenez is on paternity leave, Donnie Murphy at Triple-A Louisville (with the Reds organization), Carlos Pena is at Triple-A Round Rock and Brad Snyder is in Korea.

Jim Adduci is playing the outfield, leaving Carp and J.P. Arencibia to man the position. But manager Ron Washington wanted to get as many right-handed hitters in the lineup against left-hander John Danks on Tuesday, so Arencibia was used at designated hitter and Adam Rosales made his third start at first base.

All combined the Rangers' first basemen have a .302 on-base percentage and a .365 slugging percentage. That combines for a .667 OPS that would be the second lowest combined for Rangers first basemen in the past 41 years. The lowest was .654 in 2010 when the Rangers used the combination of Moreland, Chris Davis, Justin Smoak, Jorge Canto, Ryan Garko and Joaquin Arias at the position.