Kouzmanoff heads to Texas to have back examined

SEATTLE -- The Rangers have sent third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff back to Texas to have his back examined by Dr. Drew Dossett. Kouzmanoff has a history of back issues and had to come out of Tuesday night's game against Oakland because of some tightness.

Kouzmanoff has not improved as much as the Rangers had hoped, so they want him to undergo a complete examination. The Rangers have to make a roster decision on Friday night when they activate Adrian Beltre from the disabled list.

"We want to make sure we know what's going on before we have to create a roster spot for Adrian," general manager Jon Daniels said.

Kouzmanoff could end up on the disabled list if he is expected to miss more than a few days. The Rangers are already short-handed because Shin-Soo Choo is sidelined with a sprained left ankle.

But Choo did report improvement after undergoing treatment on Thursday, and Daniels expressed hope the Rangers left fielder will avoid going on the disabled list.

Kouzmanoff had been playing third base while Beltre was on the disabled list with a strained left quad muscle. In 13 games, Kouzmanoff is hitting .362 with two home runs and 10 RBIs.