ST. PETERSBURG -- As Hunter Pence said on Friday, his return is not far away at all. The Rangers’ designated hitter is headed to a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Monday and if all goes well, he could be activated as soon as Tuesday.

Pence, who took pregame batting practice on the field Saturday at Tropicana Field, said he felt great one day after testing his strained right groin on the basepaths during another pregame workout. Because Texas’ All-Star has been out of action since June 17, he told manager Chris Woodward he preferred to head to the Minors for a few at-bats before rejoining Texas for its home series against the Angels.

While Pence could potentially have returned for the Rangers’ current series against the Rays -- with whom they are tied for the top American League Wild Card spot -- Texas opted to err on the side of caution to ensure the strain was fully healed.

Pence was hitting .294/.353/.608 at the time of his injury, and he should provide a valuable boost back to the lineup, giving the Rangers’ already potent offense even more pop.

“We don’t want any setbacks; he’s too important,” Woodward said. “This series is really important, but there’s also baseball left. We want him helping us the rest of the way.”

As for if he’ll be ready for the All-Star Game? Pence is slated to play in at least three games before the break, and Woodward wasn't putting limitations on the 36-year-old making his first career All-Star Game start.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Woodward said. “I don’t want to take that away from him. It’s a special thing, and I don’t think there’s any reason not to [let him play].”

Rangers notes

• The Rangers announced they had re-signed right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx. He reported to Triple-A Nashville, where he’s scheduled to start Saturday night’s game.

Bibens-Dirkx was 7-5 with a 5.27 ERA in two seasons with Texas (2017-18) before he became a free agent in November. Unsigned, the 34-year-old traveled to Taiwan to continue his professional career. He finished 2-5 with a 5.28 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 15 games (six starts) for the UniLions in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League this season.

• Rougned Odor was out of Saturday’s lineup against the Rays as a precaution after leaving Friday’s game in the ninth inning with a left hamstring cramp. Odor was originally scheduled to have Sunday off, but he swapped days to give the leg extra rest.