Smith started in right field and went 0-for-4 in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Royals.
Smith has started four consecutive games in right field, a spot that normally is filled by the injured Adolis Garcia (ankle). Smith makes a good living in Texas as a fill-in for injured players regardless of position. He's started games at first base (24), third base (28), shortstop (31) and all three outfield spots (13).
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Logs two hits in win
Rotowire
Smith started in left field and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Diamondbacks.
Smith doubled to kick off a four-run sixth-inning that brought the Rangers back into the contest. The double was his 20th and the run scored his team-leading 58th through 107 games. Smith has been seeing time in left field with Evan Carter (back) on the IL, but Carter is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday and could rejoin the club for a road trip in Toronto beginning Friday. That would put Smith back into a useful super-utility role, filling in wherever needed.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Goes deep in win
Rotowire
Smith went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and a second run scored in Sunday's 8-1 win over Atlanta.
Smith had gone 0-for-9 with three strikeouts over his previous three games. He stretched Texas' lead to 5-1 with his second-inning homer off Bryce Elder, which was Smith's first long ball since July 5 in San Diego. The utility player is up to a .274/.352/.415 slash line with nine homers, 28 RBI, 52 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 17 doubles and one triple over 93 contests. Smith's playing time has faltered a bit with the Rangers facing lefties in four of their last eight games, but he should be a fairly regular presence in the lineup versus right-handers without being strictly platooned.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Idle against lefty
Rotowire
Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Though he was included in the lineup for Monday's series opener when the Athletics sent southpaw Jacob Lopez to the hill, the left-handed-hitting Smith will take a seat Wednesday while lefty JP Sears pitches for the opposition. With Smith on the bench, Ezequiel Duran will pick up a start at first base.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Moves to DH
Rotowire
Smith started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Athletics.
Smith continues to fill in everywhere for the Rangers. He most recently had a regular gig at third base, but that closed when Josh Jung was called up from Triple-A Round Rock. Besides DH, Smith can get consistent playing time at first base while Jake Burger (quadriceps) is on the 10-day injured list.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Early offense in loss
Rotowire
Smith went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Padres.
Smith led off the game with a single and came home on a Corey Seager double to give the Rangers an early lead. It was the second straight game that Smith had a hand in giving Texas an early lead -- he homered to lead off Saturday's win. In 44 games as the team's leadoff hitter, Smith is slashing .284/.350/.448. His 42 runs scored in 77 games tops the Rangers.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Sitting against southpaw
Rotowire
Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles.
After starting in each of the last five games while the Rangers faced off against right-handers, the left-handed-hitting Smith will hit the bench Monday while the Orioles send lefty Trevor Rogers to the hill. Though he's arguably been the Rangers' most valuable hitter overall this season with a .339 wOBA over 284 plate appearances, Smith has been far more productive against righties (133 wRC+) than lefties (71 wRC+).
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Logs hit, scores run in return
Rotowire
Smith went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Pirates.
Smith returned to action following a three-game hiatus due to a hamstring injury. His leadoff single to open the game extended his hitting streak to eight games (14-for-36, .389) and an on-base streak to 12 contests (.426 OBP). Smith is expected to retain his role as the team's leadoff batter and primary designated hitter against right-handers.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Returns to starting nine
Rotowire
Smith (hamstring) is batting leadoff and playing DH on Friday against Pittsburgh.
Smith was held out of the lineup for three consecutive games due to left hamstring soreness, but he's been cleared to DH on Friday. The Rangers could look to ease Smith back into work in the field. He logged a hit in seven straight games before sustaining the injury, going 13-for-31 (.419) with two homers during that stretch.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Available off bench Thursday
Rotowire
Smith (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals, but manager Bruce Bochy said that Smith will be available off the bench as a pinch hitter, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Smith's tight left hamstring will keep him out of the lineup for a third straight game could still be causing him some complications when he runs and plays the field, but the Rangers remain confident that the 27-year-old will avoid a trip to the injured list. In fact, Bochy added that he expects Smith to be ready to rejoin the starting nine during this weekend's series in Pittsburgh, though it wouldn't be surprising if Smith was used as a designated hitter initially. Smith has been a bright spot in a middling season for the Rangers, slashing .288/.357/.443 with seven home runs and eight stolen bases over 245 plate appearances while making starts at every position except pitcher and catcher.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Likely to avoid IL
Rotowire
The Rangers don't believe Smith will need to go on the injured list after suffering from left hamstring tightness during Sunday's 2-1 win over the White Sox, MLB.com reports.
Smith missed Tuesday's series-opening loss to the Royals while recovering from the hamstring injury and could miss a couple more games, but the Rangers belive the super-utility player will be ready to return by the weekend. In Tuesday's contest, Smith ceded his spot in the lineup to rookie Alejandro Ozuna, who served as Texas' designated hitter.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Multi-hit streak continues
Rotowire
Smith went 2-for-5 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Friday's 3-1 win over the White Sox.
Smith led off innings in his first three plate appearances and scored runs in all three. The two-hit effort extended a multi-hit streak to five games, during which he's gone 10-for-23 with two walks, two doubles, two homers, four RBI and seven runs scored. The versatile Smith has served as the DH, shortstop, first baseman and third baseman over his last six starts.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Heating up in June
Rotowire
Smith started at shortstop and went 2-for-5 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Thursday's 16-3 win over Minnesota.
Smith homered to lead off the game, setting up the Rangers to score 16 runs for the second time in the series. He has multiple hits in four straight contests and six in 10 games during the month of June, during which he's gone 15-for-42 (.357) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, two steals and seven runs. The versatile Smith will be in the lineup whenever the Rangers face a right-hander, either to give Corey Seager a breather at shortstop as he did Thursday, or at first base in place of Jake Burger, who has been deployed at designated hitter four times in the last seven contests.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Three hits, home run in win
Rotowire
Smith went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, a stolen base and four total RBI in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Cardinals.
Smith got the Rangers on the board in the second inning with a two-run double, putting Texas ahead 2-1, before bookending the scoring with a homer off Roddery Munoz in the eighth. The long ball was his fifth of the year and extended the lead to 8-1. It was the first multi-hit game since May 14 for the 27-year-old Smith -- he'd gone just 5-for-45 (.111) with a .313 OPS in 13 contests prior to Sunday. Overall, Smith is slashing .269/.340/.409 with 20 runs scored, 16 RBI and seven stolen bases through 192 plate appearances this season.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Bowing out of lineup Thursday
Rotowire
Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.
The left-handed-hitting Smith started at shortstop and batted ninth in Wednesday's 4-3 loss while left-hander Ryan Yarbrough took the hill for the Yankees, but Smith will check out of the lineup for the series finale with New York sending another southpaw (Carlos Rodon) to the bump. Ezequiel Duran will spell Smith at shortstop.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Makes return to lineup
Rotowire
Smith (back) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
Smith had missed the Rangers' last two games while tending to a sore lower back, but the team had labeled him as day-to-day and never expressed much concern that he would require a stint on the injured list. The super-utility man had made his previous two starts at first base before his brief absence, but he'll likely see the bulk of his reps at shortstop for the foreseeable future after the Rangers placed Corey Seager (hamstring) back on the IL on Tuesday. Smith took over as the everyday leadoff man earlier this month and should continue to maintain those duties while he's gotten on base at a .389 clip through his first 36 games of the season.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Not starting Tuesday
Rotowire
Smith (back) is not in the Rangers' starting lineup against the Rockies on Tuesday.
Smith will be out of Texas' lineup for a second consecutive game while nursing a sore lower back. Jake Burger will start at first base and bat seventh while Ezequiel Duran mans shortstop against Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Makes second straight start at SS
Rotowire
Smith started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers.
Smith made a second straight start at shortstop, as Corey Seager rested his hamstring Thursday and Friday, per Steve Kornacki of MLB.com. Smith has hit safely in five consecutive games, going 10-for-21 with a triple, two RBI and three runs scored.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Collects four hits
Rotowire
Smith went 4-for-5 with an RBI triple and two runs scored in Sunday's win over Seattle.
Smith served as the Rangers' leadoff hitter for the third straight game and set the tone for the 8-1 win. He singled in the first, third and fourth innings, and added an RBI triple in the eighth. Corey Seager (hamstring) returned to his post at shortstop, so Smith took over center field duties Sunday. Smith is slashing .311/.386/.478 with eight extra-base hits and 16 runs scored and could see regular duty in center field after the Rangers placed Leody Taveras on waivers.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Swats homer in loss
Rotowire
Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 13-1 loss to the Mariners.
Smith's ninth-inning blast off Troy Taylor kept the Rangers from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive they could take from the game. Smith had gone just 5-for-28 (.179) over nine contests since his last homer against the Athletics on April 22. The utility player has slowed down a bit but still has a .296/.380/.457 slash line over 93 plate appearances this season. He's added three homers, seven RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases and four doubles in 27 games.
