DETROIT – The Texas Rangers officially put first baseman Prince Fielder on the disabled list and have activated infielder Donnie Murphy in his place.
Fielder is the 17th Rangers player to go on the DL, which leads the majors.
For Fielder, it’s the first time in his career that he’s been placed on the disabled list. He had appeared in at least 157 games for eight consecutive seasons and had played in 547 straight games, MLB's longest active streak, before getting a nerve-root injection Saturday and missing that night’s game.
Further examination revealed a herniated disk in his neck and Fielder is scheduled to undergo season-ending fusion surgery Tuesday to allow him to get strength back in his left arm.
The move also gives manager Ron Washington some immediate bench help with Daniel Robertson unlikely to play tonight after he was kneed in the face by Alex Rios as both players tried to dive for a ball in the third inning.
Murphy was placed in the disabled list on May 8 with a neck strain, suffered when he tripped at first base trying to beat out a ground ball on May 7 vs. Colorado. Friday was his first eligible day to return. He has hit .211 with one homer and seven RBIs in 26 games for the Rangers this season.
