Engel Beltre will be on the disabled list to start the season

March 24, 2014. Surprise, Ariz – More bad news for the Texas Rangers as spring training comes to an end. Outfielder Engel Beltre has a fractured tibia and will start the season on the disabled list. He as in a heated battle to make the Opening day roster against fellow outfielder Michael Choice. The Texas Rangers haven’t made any official annoucment with Choice yet, but he is likely to make the bench now with the absence of Beltre. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Surprise, Ariz – More bad news for the Texas Rangers as spring training comes to an end.  Outfielder Engel Beltre has a fractured tibia and will start the season on the disabled list.  He as in a heated battle to make the Opening day roster against fellow outfielder Michael Choice.  The Texas Rangers haven’t made any official annoucment with Choice yet, but he is likely to make the bench now with the absence of Beltre.

Batting for a job: Beltre has had a good spring training and was making a good case to making the 25-man roster.  But, Choice was also having a great spring training.  The debate over the past week has been who will make it.  Beltre was doing very well at the plate with a batting average of .333 over 15 games/30 at-bats, but he hasn’t had his best defensive outing.  But, Beltre was the favorite since he has had plenty of time with the Rangers and also he is out of options.  If the Texas Rangers did decide to choose Choice over Beltre, that would mean they would have to designate Beltre for assignment.  That meant the Rangers would have likely picked Beltre over Choice since they could have kept Choice in the minors until he was needed.

On the Disabled List: The Texas Rangers will likely place him on the disabled list this week.  No official announcement has been made yet how a return, but Beltre could be out for 10-12 weeks also or longer.  Depending on the severity, a fractured tibia could take about 6 weeks to heal and would need another 3 weeks to rehab.  Then Engel Beltre would need to get game ready.  That could mean the Rangers do place him on waivers with the thought that no one else would want to pick up a recently injured player.

2013 stats 

Majors

• 22 games/40 at-bats
• .250 batting average
• 1 double
• 5 strike outs

Minors

• 94 games/394 at-bats
• .292 batting average
• 19 doubles
• 1 triple
• 7 home runs