DeShields sprains left knee on slide into third

SEATTLE -- The Rangers are going to be without center fielder Delino DeShields for at least one game and maybe more because of a mild sprain of his left knee. The Rangers are hopeful that DeShields won't be out too long, but they will know more on Tuesday.

DeShields had to leave Monday's 3-0 win in the seventh inning after jamming the knee on a slide at third base. He had to be helped off the field.

"I thought it was worse initially, but when they took me out, everything seemed in place," DeShields said. "I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but we'll see how I feel when I get to the park. My knee will tell me when I'm ready to go."

DeShields had missed Sunday's game with a sore muscle in his left ribcage after starting 30 in a row. He was back in the lineup on Monday until injuring himself again trying to steal third with two outs.

"Initially, I thought something popped," DeShields said. "When I was on the ground, I was afraid to get up. But I got up, put pressure on it and I was fine."

DeShields is 3-for-26 on the road trip and batting .220 in his last 32 games. But, in a scoreless game, he started the Rangers' two-run sixth-inning rally with a one-out walk off of Mariners starter Roenis Elias.

The Rangers are eight games over .500 on the season, but they are 43-28 since May 22 in games with DeShields in the lineup. May 22 is when he was moved into the leadoff spot.

The Rangers were also 8-11 when DeShields was on the disabled list from June 15 to July 4. But since then, they have added Will Venable, Drew Stubbs and Ryan Strausborger to their outfield mix.

"We have three very capable guys we can run with in center field," manager Jeff Banister said. "We'll know more in the morning where Delino is at. We feel he'll be down tomorrow as a precaution at least and give the knee a chance to settle down. We'd like to have Delino with us down the stretch. We'll let him go through the treatment process and see where he is at."