The Texas Rangers announced this afternoon that the club has placed outfielder/designated hitter Hunter Pence on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 24, with a lower back strain. To take his place on the active roster, the club has recalled infielder/catcher Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Triple-A Nashville.

Pence was scratched from the starting lineup for Friday night’s game with the Chicago White Sox due to the back injury. The first date he will be eligible to return is September 3. Pence has batted .297 with 18 home runs and 59 RBI for Texas this season, his highest home run total since 2014. He was selected as the starting designated hitter for the American League All-Star team, but did not play due to injury, as he was also on the injured list from June 17-July 14 with a right groin strain.

Kiner-Falefa has batted .230 with one home run and 16 RBI over 51 games spanning two stints with Texas this season: Opening Day-July 20 and August 2-20. He was on the Rangers’ 10-day injured list from June 7-July 19 with a right middle finger sprain. He was optioned to the minor leagues on August 21 when the club added relief pitcher Locke St. John, and Kiner-Falefa has appeared in 5 games with Frisco (AA) and Nashville (AAA) over that period. For the season, he has combined to bat .234 (22-94) with 2 home runs and 13 RBI over 26 games with Nashville and Frisco spanning injury rehabilitation assignments and two separate stints on option.

Following these transactions, the Rangers still have 40 players on the club’s Major League roster, along with six players on the 60-day injured list: LHP Jesse Biddle, RHP Jesse Chavez, LHP Taylor Hearn, RHP Nate Jones, LHP Jeffrey Springs, and RHP Edinson Vólquez.