Rangers' Michael Helman: Enters for injured teammate
Rotowire
Helman entered Tuesday's game in sixth inning as a pinch hitter for Wyatt Langford (side) and finished 0-for-2 in a 4-1 loss to the Twins.
Helman, who had started in center field the previous three games while Langford battled a side injury, opened the contest on the bench. Langford attempted to play while Texas still had faint playoff hopes, but the pain became too much, and he was eventually removed from the game. The loss eliminated the Rangers from the postseason, which might prompt the team to shut down Langford for the rest of the season. In that event, Helman could have steady role in the center field over the final five games.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Fills in for injured teammate
Rotowire
Helman started in center field and went 0-for-4 in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Marlins.
Helman entered the starting lineup with Wyatt Langford (side) was unable to play. The Rangers are evaluating Langford and haven't established a timeline. Helman's lost playing time since Adolis Garcia returned to the active roster but could regain opportunities should Langford's injury force him to miss more games.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Goes yard again
Rotowire
Helman went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers.
Helman launched a grand slam in Monday's series opener and followed it up with another homer Tuesday night. His fifth-inning homer off Chad Patrick tied the contest. In the six games leading up to his pair of homers, Helman went 2-for-18 (.111). He has five long balls this season.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Drives in career-high five
Rotowire
Helman went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI in Monday's 5-0 win over Milwaukee.
Helman launched his first career grand slam en route to tallying a career-high five RBI. The center fielder is making a strong impression at the plate so far, and he should continue to play regularly down the stretch for the banged-up Rangers. Through 55 trips to the plate, Helman is slashing .245/.315/.571 with seven extra-base hits, 15 RBI, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Gaining traction in center field
Rotowire
Helman will start in center field and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
With Wyatt Langford recently shifting over to left field after super-utility man Josh Smith was moved back to the middle infield in the wake of Marcus Semien (foot) and Corey Seager (appendectomy) landing on the shelf, center field has been opened up for Helman. The 29-year-old will be occupying center for the sixth game in a row Tuesday after going 5-for-18 with three extra-base hits, three walks, one stolen base, four RBI and five runs over the previous five contests.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Officially recalled
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Helman from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Helman will replace Evan Carter (wrist) on the 26-man roster. Helman's ability to play infield and outfield will provide Texas with some additional versatility going forward. His clearest path to playing time comes in center field.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Plates four runs after promotion
Rotowire
Helman went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in a 7-2 win against the Athletics on Monday.
Helman was called up Monday afternoon and was promptly inserted into the leadoff spot as the Rangers' starting center fielder. The 29-year-old capitalized on the opportunity, mashing a three-run homer to left field in the fifth inning and adding another RBI on a sacrifice bunt in the seventh. The long ball was the first of Helman's major-league career in his 15th game, though he's amassed just 20 plate appearances to date.
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Rangers' Michael Helman: Called up by Texas
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Helman from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Helman will make his Rangers debut after being claimed by Texas on May 19. Since then, he's slashed .246/.306/.451 at Triple-A with five home runs and six stolen bases. He'll take Wyatt Langford's (oblique) spot on the active roster. Helman is likely to mix in at center field and left field, though he'll have to compete with the likes of Evan Carter, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty for playing time.
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Pirates' Michael Helman: DFA'd by Pittsburgh
Rotowire
The Pirates designated Helman for assignment Friday.
The move makes room on the 40-man roster for Nick Solak, whose contract was selected by the Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Helman was claimed off waivers by the Pirates on Wednesday after being DFA'd by the Cardinals. He is slashing .185/.260/.292 with one steal, one home run and five RBI across 73 plate appearances in Triple-A this season.
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Cardinals' Michael Helman: Back from Triple-A IL
Rotowire
Triple-A Memphis activated Helman (undisclosed) from the 7-day injured list Thursday.
Helman missed nearly three weeks of action with an undisclosed injury. He's slashed only .204/.283/.278 with Memphis this season, and the Cardinals seem likely to turn to Thomas Saggese or Jose Fermin before Helman if they need a utility player.
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Cardinals' Michael Helman: Sidelined at Triple-A
Rotowire
Triple-A Memphis placed Helman on its 7-day injured list April 22 due to an unspecified injury.
The 28-year-old utility player slashed .204/.283/.278 over 60 plate appearances with Memphis to begin the season before being shut down with the injury. Helman occupies a spot on the Cardinals' 40-man roster but didn't appear to be especially close to getting a look in the big leagues even before getting hurt.
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Cardinals' Michael Helman: Dealt to St. Louis
Rotowire
The Twins traded Helman to the Cardinals on Thursday in exchange for cash.
Helman spent most of last season with Triple-A St. Paul, where he slashed .270/.349/.482 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI across 315 plate appearances. He also fared well in a small sample size during his first career MLB stint, going 3-for-10 at the plate while scoring two runs over nine games for Minnesota. Now with the Cardinals, the 28-year-old's defensive versatility could give him a leg up in the race for a bench spot, though there's a decent chance he begins the season at Triple-A Memphis.
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Twins' Michael Helman: Back from injured list
Rotowire
Helman (shoulder), who was activated from the minor-league injured list Aug. 28, was promoted from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twinsreports.
Helman landed on the 60-day IL for St. Paul in May with a dislocated shoulder, and he played a few games with Wichita after being reinstated last week before rejoining the Triple-A club. The 27-year-old has just 12 games under his belt at Triple-A this year but has hit well in the limited sample with a .333/.434/.711 slash line and four homers.
