Rangers trending toward rookies

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers had five rookies in their lineup on Wednesday. That's one fewer than they had for Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Angels, but if everybody is healthy, Texas could start nine rookies in a game.

Interim manager Tim Bogar admitted that it's difficult for a rookie to break into the big leagues but even harder when he is in a lineup already dominated by rookies. That's the challenge facing Rougned Odor, Tomas Telis, Luis Sardinas, Ryan Rua, Daniel Robertson and Michael Choice.

"I think there's two ways to look at that," Bogar said. "[Because we have so many rookies], it's tough, because you don't have a lot of the veteran experience around you to guide you, to help you through some of the things that happen during a game. Also, when you're the only rookie out there, you kind of get hidden in that lineup a little bit.

"Now, on the second line of thinking, now they're not hitting, they're all exposed, and they've only got themselves to kind of lean on, and they don't know from experience where to go with it. Usually, you don't have to be a .300 hitter when you're in a good lineup. You just do the little things that's going to help progress the offense. When you have four, five or six guys that are pretty much the same that way, it's little bit more of a struggle to be competitive every night."

Tuesday marked the first time the Rangers had six rookie position players in the lineup since the final game of the 1982 season. This is by necessity, not by choice; there will not be an all-rookie lineup.

"We're not here to fool around," Bogar said. "When we're playing the A's or the Angels, we have to throw our best guys out there. It's meaningful, especially for the A's. The bottom line is, we do have a little say in what happens to them, so we do have some things to play for."