3 Rangers on thin ice as Jake Burger prepares for his return

In what was considered a mild surprise roster move on May 2, the Texas Rangers decided to send struggling first baseman Jake Burger down to Triple-A Round Rock. At the time, the word from the organization was that it was intended for him to "reset" his approach at the plate as his average was below .200 and his strikeouts were piling up.

It has been announced that Burger should return to the major league roster as soon as Monday April 12, and that means that someone will have to be sent down to make rom for him. There is one obvious move that the team can make, and one that is a little less apparent as the team is coming off an impressive series win in Detroit.

These three Rangers will need to have their bags packed and prepared for possible demotion when the move becomes official.

3 Rangers on thin ice as Jake Burger prepares for his return

Blaine Crim - 1B

Sending Blaine Crim back to Round Rock would be the simplest transaction that would make sense for the club. Crim was promoted to fill the vacancy left by Burger when he was sent down, and never really got much of a chance to prove himself at the major league level after winning the minor league Player of the Month for April.

During his first 9 games with the Rangers, Crim has failed to register a hit in 11 at-bats and has struck out 6 times. Crim has only started a handful of games as Burger's replacement, and unfortunately, on the rare occasions that he has gotten to play, he hasn't been very effective. It hasn't been much of an opportunity for Crim, but his return to Round Rock would reopen a slot for Burger.

Sam Haggerty - OF

Haggerty has shown flashes since he was called up from Triple-A Round Rock just three days ago, but with the re-emergence of Evan Carter in center field there may not be a spot for the nimble outfielder if the Rangers decided to keep Crim on the Rangers roster.

In very limited time over 3 games, Haggerty has recorded 2 hits in seven at-bats and along with his wide-ranging ability to cover center field, it is clear why the Rangers are still high on him. Unfortunately, when a veteran big-leaguer is sent down for a "get right" 10-day assignment, it is the "last man in - first man" out scenario for Haggerty.

But should the Rangers decide to roll with Haggerty and keep him and Carter together in center field, then there is a third veteran player who could wind up elsewhere upon Burger's return.

Kevin Pillar - OF

If it isn't an outright swap at 1st base for Crim, then there is a chance that the organization could move on from Pillar who is currently on the 10-day injured list. The light hitting 36-year-old journeyman is dealing with lower back inflammation, and his spot on the 25-man roster is by no means safe.

Of the three on thin ice. Pillar makes the most money by far, and before he went on the IL, he was hitting just .237 with a single RBI in 18 games and 38 at-bats. If the team is looking to trim some salary, then it could be Pillar on the move via waivers, as a demotion is unlikely for the 13-year veteran.