Peguero DFA'd as Klein tabbed for Texas start

BOSTON -- The Rangers' experiment with Carlos Peguero has come to an end, at least for now. Peguero was designated for assignment to make room for pitcher Phil Klein, who was called up on Wednesday to start against the Red Sox.

The move clears the way for Josh Hamilton to take over in left field as early as Monday in Cleveland. Hamilton was 1-for-4 with a two-run home run for Double-A Frisco on Wednesday. Hamilton is expected to play Thursday through Saturday at Triple-A Round Rock before he is activated off the disabled list on Monday, when the Rangers open a three-game series against the Indians.

Peguero was signed by Texas as a Minor League free agent in the offseason, riding a reputation for having tremendous power and a high strikeout rate. He impressed the Rangers in Spring Training by showing significant improvement in his patience and ability to use all the fields.

But Peguero could not consistently duplicate that success at the Major League level after being called up on April 11. He hit .186 with a .310 on-base percentage and a .414 slugging percentage in 30 games and 84 plate appearances. Peguero had four home runs and nine RBIs. He also had 36 strikeouts in 70 at-bats.

Peguero had a briefly flurry of success in three games in Houston on May 5-7, going 5-for-11 with three home runs. But he is 2-for-24 with 14 strikeouts since then. Peguero's last home run was on May 9 at Tampa Bay.

In his career, Peguero has averaged a strikeout for every 2.50 plate appearances. That is the worst rate for an American League player with a minimum of 300 plate appearances since the designated hitter was introduced in 1973.

The Rangers also announced that pitcher Stolmy Pimentel has cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Round Rock.