Gallo rests with sore wrist; Odor returns

ARLINGTON -- Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo was out of the Friday's lineup against the Angels with a sore right wrist that bothered him during the three-game series against the Athletics earlier this week. Gallo sat on the same day Rougned Odor returned to the lineup after missing four games with tightness in his right oblique.

Gallo told the club after Wednesday’s 6-4 loss that his wrist was “pretty sore.” He tried to play through the pain on Thursday and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in another 6-4 loss. He was 1-for-11 with eight strikeouts in the three games in Oakland.

“He decided to play through it yesterday, because it was pretty sore and it affected his swing,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “It probably didn’t help playing yesterday because it was pretty sore today. [We'll] give him today and hopefully he’ll be full go tomorrow. Today is a no go.”

Gallo underwent season-ending surgery on his right wrist on July 24 last year to remove a broken hamate bone, cutting his first All-Star year short after just 70 games. Woodward said this injury is completely separate to what Gallo dealt with last season.

“I think it’s more like tendinitis in the wrist area,” Woodward said.

Odor was used at designated hitter on Friday, allowing Anderson Tejeda to get another start at second base. Todd Frazier moved into the cleanup spot, as the Rangers braced for not having their best player in the lineup.

“Our big gun is out. Somebody has to step up,” Frazier said. “I am here. I told Woody, 'Put me where you need me.' I’m feeling good now. Who’s got the guts to look themselves in the mirror, and say, 'It’s my turn to step up’? That’s how I was born and raised. Got to look at the man in the mirror and say, ‘Let’s go.’”

Frazier loves no video
Major League rules no longer allow players to go back to the clubhouse during games and look at video. That’s part of the fallout from the sign-stealing scandals last offseason with the Astros and Red Sox.

Frazier said he is all for getting video out of the clubhouse during games.

“I love it,” Frazier said. “It brings guys more together. How did you do it in high school or college? You didn’t have nothing. In the Minor Leagues? We must have all been lucky. I’m old school. I want to talk. I want to see your eyes.

“I want to hear what the guys say after a strikeout. I think we have gotten away from that. Everybody goes back to the video. It hurts the morale of the team. I think being out there supporting your players is key. Guys need to understand, especially at a young age, video is not going to make you hit .300. You have to focus on the game and be there for your teammates.”

Rare jump for Tejeda
Tejeda is the seventh player in Rangers history to reach the Majors straight from Class A without playing at the Double-A or Triple-A.

The last two were pitchers Fabian Castro (2006) Mason Tobin ('11), both Rule 5 Draft picks. The others were pitcher Bob Malloy (1987), outfielder Pete Incaviglia ('86), first baseman Mike Hargrove ('74) and pitcher David Clyde ('73).

Tejeda also became the ninth Rangers player to hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat, after going deep in the seventh inning on Thursday against Oakland's Mike Fiers. The others were Nomar Mazara (2016), Joey Gallo ('15), Jurickson Profar ('13), Ruben Mateo (1999), Rusty Greer ('94), Chad Kreuter ('88), Ruben Sierra ('86) and George Wright ('82).

Rangers beat
• Right-hander Rafael Montero has been activated off the 10-day injured list. He had been sidelined since the beginning of the season with a strained right forearm.

• Catcher Jose Trevino has been assigned to alternate camp but will still travel with the Rangers on their taxi squad.

• Left-hander Kolby Allard will be working on five days' rest when he pitches against the Angels on Saturday. He went 10 days between outings when he started against the Giants last Sunday, allowing one run in four innings.

“I thought I could have done a better job commanding the ball,” Allard said. “I think going back out there on normal rest, I will be a little more crisp and go deeper in the game.”