Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Sitting after three straight starts
Rotowire
Duran is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.
Duran will head to the bench for the series opener, but he had started in each of the last three contests and should be in store for an uptick in playing time after Marcus Semien (foot) was deactivated Saturday with a likely season-ending injury. Josh Smith will cover second base Monday, but if the Rangers prefer to use the versatile Smith in the outfield while Evan Carter (wrist) is on the shelf, Duran could have a fairly clear path to making regular starts at the keystone.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Picking up third straight start
Rotowire
Duran will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Guardians.
Duran will stay in the lineup for the third game in a row after after going 2-for-8 with two doubles and three RBI in the first two. With Marcus Semien (foot) landing on the injured list Saturday, Duran could emerge as the Rangers' primary option at the keystone.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Drives in three runs
Rotowire
Duran went 1-for-5 with a two-run double and an additional RBI during the Rangers' 10-0 win over the Guardians on Saturday.
Duran played a big factor in Saturday's blowout win, bringing home two on a double in the fourth inning before capping the Rangers' scoring with an RBI groundout in the sixth. Duran has logged at least one hit in each of his last four games, and since Aug. 1 he has gone 16-for-41 (.390) with two steals, four doubles and six RBI.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Enters for injured teammate
Rotowire
Duran entered Sunday's game in the seventh inning after first baseman Jake Burger was removed with a wrist injury. Duran finished out the game at first base and went 0-for-1 with a walk in a 10-4 victory over the Blue Jays.
There's no shortage of players on the roster that can play first base, and Duran could be the choice against lefties should Burger miss any time. Against right-handers, manager Bruce Bochy has Josh Smith, Rowdy Tellez and Joc Pederson that hit from the left side of the plate.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Fills in at second base
Rotowire
Duran started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a double in Saturday's 14-2 loss to Toronto.
Duran stepped in at second base for the injured Marcus Semien (wrist), who was hit by a pitch Friday and held out Saturday. X-rays on Semien's wrist came back negative, and he'll be re-evaluated ahead of Sunday's series finale. While Duran can play multiple positions, second base is not high on his list of appearances. He's played 22 games there during his career, and only twice this season.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Back on bench Sunday
Rotowire
Duran is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
With the Rangers facing lefty starters in the previous three contests, Duran cracked the lineup on each occasion, going a collective 6-for-10 with a double and two runs. Duran still looks as though he'll be limited to a short-side platoon role moving forward, as he'll head back to the bench Sunday while right-hander Zack Wheeler toes the rubber for Philadelphia.
Duran started at first base and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to the Astros.
Duran struck out four times and has endured a tough stretch over the last three weeks, going 2-for-24 (.083) across 13 games (29.6 percent strikeout rate). He might normally start at third base against a lefty, but Duran was needed to cover first base for Jake Burger (quadriceps). Duran is batting .130 with a .395 OPS in 38 games for the Rangers.
Duran started at third base and went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Orioles.
Duran made a second straight start at third base, where there could be additional opportunities for him in the near term in the wake of the Rangers optioning Josh Jung to the minors. Duran and Josh Smith are expected to fill the void while Jung works on his swing at Triple-A Round Rock.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Swipes two bags off bench
Rotowire
Duran stole two bases as a pinch runner in Monday's 10-6 extra-innings loss to the Orioles.
Duran swiped second and third after pinch running for Kyle Higashioka in the ninth inning. The Rangers left him stranded on third, and while they rallied to keep the game going in the 10th, they couldn't pull off a second comeback in the 11th. Duran is not seeing consistent playing time as a reserve infielder, which makes sense since he went just 4-for-23 (.174) with eight strikeouts over 13 games in June. Most of his starts are likely to be against left-handed pitchers, but his real value comes from versatility off the bench. Duran is batting just .138 this season while adding three steals, two RBI, four runs scored, four doubles and no home runs over 66 plate appearances.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Sitting for second straight game
Rotowire
Duran is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
After Jake Burger (oblique) was placed on the injured list Saturday, Duran started each of the Rangers' ensuing three games at first base and went 1-for-10 with a walk and a run scored. The poor three-game run as a starter may have closed Duran's window for steady playing time temporarily, as he'll now find himself on the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Brandon Young) for the second straight day. Super-utility man Josh Smith will serve as the Rangers' first baseman Wednesday, and the Rangers may use Burger's vacated lineup spot to cycle in a number of different players at designated hitter.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Scores run in loss
Rotowire
Duran started at first base and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
The utility player is expected to serve as the Rangers' primary option at first base after Jake Burger (oblique) landed on the injured list Saturday. Duran's opportunities have picked up over the last week, as Josh Smith dealt with a hamstring injury and Josh Jung was given a multi-day mental break. Duran's had effective offensive stretches while with the Rangers -- most notably in 2023 when he posted a .767 OPS with 14 home runs and eight steals in 122 games -- but he hasn't gained regular traction in the big-league lineup over the past season and a half.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Playing time to increase
Rotowire
Manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that Duran will see the majority of the reps at first base while Jake Burger (oblique) is on the injured list, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bochy also gave Duran some praise for his recent work at the plate, which is another positive sign for Duran's fantasy outlook. The 26-year-old has just 51 plate appearances this season and has logged a poor .455 OPS, but he has three doubles in his last nine at-bats and will have an opportunity to prove himself in a larger role. Justin Foscue and Josh Smith could occasionally start at first base while Burger is sidelined.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Drawing third straight start
Rotowire
Duran will start at designated hitter and bat ninth Wednesday against the Royals.
Duran will get a third consecutive start, this time handling a non-defensive role after he filled in at third base for Josh Jung in the previous two contests. Jung is back in the lineup Wednesday, and Josh Smith (hamstring) is expected to be back in the starting nine by the weekend, so Duran appears likely to be headed back to a bench role in the near future.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Gets another start at shortstop
Rotowire
Duran started at shortstop and went 0-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's 2-1 win over the Rockies.
Duran make his second straight start in place of the injured Corey Seager (hamstring). Josh Smith is typically the next man up at shortstop, but he was unavailable Monday due to back soreness. Once or both of Seager and Smith return to action, Duran will likely see fewer opportunities in the Texas infield.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Fills in at shortstop
Rotowire
Duran started at shortstop and went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Tigers.
Duran filled in for Corey Seager, who aggravated a hamstring injury Saturday. Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that Seager is operating at about 85 percent, per MLB.com. Seager is set to undergo more further evaluation Monday. Should that lead to another stint on the injured list, Duran would be in line for more opportunities.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Promotion made official
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Duran from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
The Rangers played a man short in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, as they put Kevin Pillar (back) on the injured list prior to the contest but had to wait for Duran to arrive in Boston after traveling. Duran is with the big club now, and he'll serve in a utility role.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Promotion imminent
Rotowire
The Rangers are expected to recall Duran from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Texas has already placed Kevin Pillar (back) on the injured list in a corresponding move, but since Duran isn't scheduled to arrive in Boston prior to Wednesday's contest, the Rangers will wait until Thursday to make his promotion official. Duran will offer depth at all four infield spots and both corner-outfield spots and will likely see most of his starts against left-handed pitching. He had been on the fire at the plate since being optioned to Triple-A on April 20, slashing .346/.393/.673 with four home runs and five stolen bases over 13 games.
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Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Sent down to minors
Rotowire
The Rangers optioned Duran to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Texas needed to clear a spot on the 26-man roster for the return of Wyatt Langford (oblique), and Duran was the recipient of a demotion. The 26-year-old has been unable to get going offensively this season, as he's 0-for-14 with four strikeouts so far. The Rangers will look for Duran to get his bat on track with Round Rock.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 5-10, 185 lbs
Birthplace: San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic
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