Texas Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre to Only Miss Up to Two Weeks; Other Injury News

While this is sort of old news, some of you may not have heard and since I’ve been out of the loop for a while due to dealing with an illness (me and my whole family), I’m going to write about any way.

Adrian Beltre, the newly acquired third baseman, suffered an injury to his right calf prior to the start of Spring Training camp. It is said to just be a Grade 1 strain, per the results of a conducted MRI, so nothing incredibly serious but he is expected to miss a couple of weeks or so. While reports had surfaced that the 31-year-old may have to miss a month, which would cause him to miss the Texas Rangers’ April 1 Opening Day game against the Boston Red Sox in Arlington, Beltre is currently expected to begin playing no later than March 10 in the Cactus League.

Some other injury news around Surprise, Arizona, for the Texas Rangers include:

Brandon Webb, a pitcher signed in the offseason by the Rangers that has not pitched in two years due to shoulder surgery, was set to throw off the mound for the first time today. The 31-year-old has been taking it slow to make sure his shoulder is ready to pitch full strength. According to ESPN, he successfully threw 46 pitches this morning in a bullpen session, which included changeups and curve balls. While he had a good bullpen session and is very optimistic about his throwing, he has yet to be cleared to throw in a real game. Regardless, though, he is on the right track to becoming a starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers organization for the 2011 MLB season.

Outfielder Craig Gentry suffered a broken right wrist, but will take part in live batting practice today. He will continue to do this until he feels that his wrist is ready to hold up in a game. As of right now, there is no specific timetable for the 27-year-old’s full recovery or return to the field; however, the organization believes the outfielder will likely be ready come April 1 as the fifth outfielder and temporary roster fill-in when needed.

Also participating in live batting practice today will be 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Eric Hurley who has been out with a strain to his left hamstring. The 25-year-old has not pitched since 2008 due to various issues with his shoulder and hand. He will find himself in AAA Round Rock if he can stay healthy the rest of Spring Training.