Former Texas Rangers outfielder resurfaces in Nationals' farm system

The Texas Rangers experienced a lot of ups and downs in the late 2010s, filled with back-to-back playoff disappointments and seasons of immense turmoil. That doesn't mean fans still don't hold nostalgia for those years and one of those players recently made his way back to minor league baseball.

Once a first round pick by the Houston Astros in 2010, Delino DeShields Jr. came to the Rangers during the 2014 Rule 5 Draft and immediately became a staple in that era of Texas Rangers baseball. However, mixed with inconsistencies and injuries, DeShields Jr's time in Texas ended in the 2019.

Fast forward to May 28, 2025, DesShields Jr. was signed to a minor league contract by the Washington Nationals and assigned to their Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania alongside his new manager, his father Delino DeShields Sr.

This is an unexpected return as DeShields Jr. last played for a major league organization back in 2023 when he spent 12 games with the Mariners' Triple-A team in Tacoma before being released in May. He has been in baseball though, playing professionally in independent ball.

In 103 games of independent baseball, he slashed .268/.374/.372 with 8 homers, 54 RBIs and 49 stolen bases (which was his bread and butter in MLB). As a big leaguer for six years, he stole 111 bases, with 106 of those being in a Rangers' uniform.

There's not telling just how long DeShields will last back in minor league baseball or even if he will make a return back to Major League Baseball but I am sure in the midst of this borderline failure of a season, Rangers' fans can look back with players that helped make core memories for their favorite baseball team.