Rangers' options at catcher with Heim on IL

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SAN DIEGO -- Less than a month ago, the Rangers had five starters for the American League in this year’s MLB All-Star Game in Seattle. In the three weeks since the Midsummer Classic, two of those All-Star position players have landed on the injured list: shortstop Corey Seager and catcher Jonah Heim.

Heim landed on the IL Friday ahead of the Rangers’ matchup with the Padres. He left Texas’ game on Wednesday against the Astros with left wrist soreness after swinging and missing at a curveball from Framber Valdez in the fourth inning.

The official prognosis for Heim is a left wrist tendon strain, but the 28-year-old admitted that surgery was discussed and could be an option down the line. If he can handle any potential pain after a couple weeks of rest, said surgery will be performed in the offseason. If the pain continues to be unbearable, it will be sooner rather than later.

With Heim out, Mitch Garver and Sam Huff will split reps behind the plate, but it’s no doubt a dramatic loss for a Rangers offense that was already missing Seager. Heim was slashing .280/.337/.479 in 90 games at catcher and designated hitter before landing on the IL.

“It’s going to be an opportunity to let Sam grow more than he’s already grown and also let Mitch go,” said Rangers catching coach Bobby Wilson. “Since we've had Mitch, we haven't really had the opportunity to just let him go and play. We, as a coaching staff, have to be better and make sure Sam's prepared and make sure Mitch is ready to go. I look at it as not a challenge, but an opportunity.”

The reps may be close to 50/50, but Garver -- a seven-year MLB veteran -- will definitely get the first look. He started the first two games against the Padres following Heim’s injury.

Garver was an AL Silver Slugger Award winner with the Twins in 2019 but has struggled with various injuries since. The Rangers traded for him during Spring Training in ’22, but he had played only 87 games for them entering Friday.

Garver has not caught on back-to-back days at all this season, due to a short IL stint in late April and early May, and Heim starting behind the plate in 80 of Texas' first 103 games at the time of his injury. Garver said the biggest adjustment for him will be catching guys like Martín Pérez and Nathan Eovaldi, who he hasn’t had much game action with since Spring Training.

“It’s sudden, right?” Garver said of stepping up in Heim place. “I haven’t gone back-to-back since Spring Training. Like I've prepared myself to play back-to-back days, but it hasn't been the case, four or five months of the season here. I'm excited for the opportunity. … I hope it is [like riding a bike]. I'm just gonna get back on the saddle and do it again. Basically, what it comes down to is like, I don't care how you feel, suck it up, go play.”

On the other hand, Huff is a former Top 100 prospect who has slashed .257/.319/.443 in his first 63 big league games across three seasons, but hasn’t had much of a chance to get consistent reps at this level. He’s hit .298/.389/.546 at Triple-A Round Rock this season.

“With Sam, specifically, we’ve kind of groomed him since I came in 2020 to be an everyday starting catcher in the major leagues,” Wilson said. “It's gonna be an opportunity for him to play in a bigger role here and be counted and depended. So that’s where we're at right now. It's gonna be my job to make sure that Sam is prepared. But he's ready to go.”