With the Texas Rangers entering Wednesday with a 10-game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL West, some people might think general manager Jon Daniels' main concern would be to start thinking about a few trades near the Aug. 1 deadline that would sharpen up his roster. But Daniels isn't listening to the critics.
His goal right now? Make sure the Rangers' pitchers currently on the disabled list are rehabbing and working their way back into the rotation.
“We want to get our arms around where our guys are,” Daniels told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. “We want to know who will be back and what to expect from them. We’re spending most of our time on that.”
The Rangers have three starters -- Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis -- and relievers Keone Kela and Tanner Scheppers on the DL. Kela is expected back before the All-Star break, while Darvish and Holland could return shortly afterwards.
While neither Scheppers nor Lewis will return until at least the end of July, Daniels said Kela could go on a rehab assignment this weekend and Darvish could start throwing to hitters on Wednesday.
But even with the big lead heading into the All-Star break, Daniels added that the team's mentality won't start lagging and they'll continue to be very conscious of their needs leading up to the trade deadline.
“We’re aware of where we are, but I try not to look at things that way,” Daniels said. “We’re very cognizant of what can happen quickly.”
