Texas Rangers: With injuries aside, the time is now for Willie Calhoun

Time is of the essence, and for Texas Rangers‘ OF/DH Willie Calhoun, he unfortunately doesn’t have much of it left this season.

The fan-favorite slugger has had terrible injury luck over the course of his career, including in 2021 with a forearm fracture that has kept him out since June. Now, Calhoun is slated to see his first game action since then with mere weeks left of regular season remaining.

Prior to hitting the shelf, Calhoun posted a .708 OPS and .323 OBP in 205 at-bats, including five home runs as one of the more consistent bats in the Texas Rangers’ lineup. His presence will surely be welcomed in a lineup that actually has played pretty well in September.

But this is a rare instance where it’s all about the player and less about the team. It’s time for Willie Calhoun to make the most of these last few weeks.

Willie Calhoun needs to play well returning from injury to position himself as the Texas Rangers’ starting DH heading into 2022

Of course, so many of the 26-year-old’s injuries have been far from his fault, which makes these circumstances even more unfortunate. But, we are where we are, and Willie Calhoun has an opportunity to close out the season strong and build a case to return as the starting DH in 2022.

We hate to put this kind of pressure on such a good guy and fan favorite, but it really does feel like now or never for Calhoun.

The good news is that he should see plenty of at-bats down the stretch as one of the lineup’s better run producers. However, there have been new additions to the Texas Rangers since the 26-year-old last started a game, and mostly in the form of auditioning youngsters also looking to make a case for 2022.

Therefore, it’s even more imperative that Calhoun take this upcoming opportunity and run with it, because the Rangers have some stout depth in the minors that will continue bubbling up to the surface.

We’ll be rooting for his success!