Josh Smith's hot rehab stint creating 1 Rangers roster problem and unexpectedly solve another

Offense has been an issue for the Texas Rangers the entire season, and while there are many reasons why the lineup has struggled, chief among them has been injuries. The returns of Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford have set the team up for a boost, while Josh Smith is on the verge of rejoining the big league club as well.

Smith's showing during his rehab stint should have fans excited. With Marcus Semien shipped out to Queens, Smith got the lion's share of the second base reps during the early part of the season, but struggled a great deal before meningitis sidelined him for more than a month.

He kicked off his rehab assignment with a homer on the second pitch he saw down in Frisco. He'd go on to finish 2-for-3 with that homer and a walk in his first action after the long layoff. After that first game on June 7, his rehab assignment was transferred to Round Rock. In total, he's slashing .250/.409/.706 with two homers over the five games he's played so far.

Meanwhile, in his absence, Ezequiel Duran has seized control of the second base job and is putting together a compelling All-Star campaign. Duran has (rightfully) bestowed the nickname "La Solución" or "The Solution" in English, upon himself, thanks to his stellar performance so far.

So if Duran is the second base solution, where does that leave Smith with his activation from the IL nearing? Does he go back to the utility role he played behind Semien previously? Or is there a better way to deploy these assets?

Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith make for a crowded infield situation, unless the Rangers are willing to get creative

Bumping Duran from the keystone in favor of Smith seems impossible right now, and while Smith is coming back to a .217/.324/.239 line, he's clearly been a positive player in the past. His line over the past two full seasons is a combined .254/.336/.380 with 23 homers, 23 steals, and a 107 wRC+. That kind of production surely would look nice in a super utility role, but there might be an even better way to utilize his skills.

One of the biggest issues holding the Rangers' offense back has been the production from the outfield. Part of that has to do with the 39 games Langford missed. Part of it has to do with Brandon Nimmo's downturn. And a big part of it has to do with Evan Carter's frustrating inability to tap into his most explosive offensive skills.

The result has been a 27th-ranked .662 OPS from the outfield. Nimmo's a veteran with an established track record, so he deserves the right to turn things around. Langford surely will improve those numbers. But Carter's .176/.295/.326 line is a problem, and should relegate him to fourth outfielder due to Langford's ability to handle center field.

Here's where the Duran-Smith debate comes into play. Rather than push Smith to the bench, why not take advantage of the versatility these two players possess? Smith has logged 457 1/3 innings in the outfield throughout his career, mostly in the corners. For Duran, the number of outfield innings he's logged for his career is 529 2/3 innings.

Flipping one of them to the outfield makes a ton of sense, especially if Carter lingers on the IL for a while with his sore oblique. There, Texas can ensure that the best nine hitters are in the lineup every day, and, once Carter is healthy and until he gets his act together at the plate, he can serve as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.

It might be a little out of the box, but this is the way to add more punch to the lineup, which is something that is much needed. That's the way the Rangers need to be thinking right now, at least until they're ready to declare as trade deadline buyers or sellers.

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