Mitch Moreland the Latest Blow

What if Derek Holland's dog is the reason for everything that ails the Rangers? Have you ever thought about it?

Mitch Moreland is the latest victim to the worst injury situation I can recall having ever seen a professional sports team deal with, bringing the number of disabled list moves to 19 for Texas on the season. We knew some time ago that Mitch was dealing with ankle issues, but it was unclear exactly when or how he hurt the ankle.

This morning, however, it was determined that he will under go ankle reconstruction surgery this upcoming week, and will be out for at least 3 months. Effectively, his season is over.

From a production standpoint, it's not as if Moreland was hitting lights out or providing immense value. With 184 plate appearances -- 6 more than Prince Fielder had before undergoing his cervical fusion procedure at -0.4 fWAR on the season -- Moreland had put up an fWAR of -0.6.

At the same time, the value of Major League bodies at this point can't be underestimated, regardless of value. So, there's that.

As far as replacements, it would appear that, at least for now, Donnie Murphy will get the bulk of the playing time (Note: As I typed this, Murphy was hit by a pitch on his left elbow).

Jim Adduci would seem to be a candidate as well, at least until shortly after the news on Moreland broke, it was revealed that Adduci will need to get a medical opinion after reinjuring his surgically repaired left pinky, so he may not be available after all.

There will be speculation on this, and I'd like to put a stop to it now. No, Joey Gallo will not be called up and given a shot. Firstly, Gallo has been strictly a 3rd baseman to this point. Second, he was literally just called up to AA Frisco, and will need some time to adjust to what is usually a much more difficult level for hitters. I'll be surprised if we see Gallo on the Major League roster anytime before September call-ups in 2015, at the earliest.

So, the world keeps turning, the Rangers keep hurting, and it appears there is no end in sight. Yet, despite it all, the Rangers will still need to field enough bodies for another 100 games. It might be the biggest challenge yet presented to Jon Daniels and his front office staff.