Texas summons Austin Wynns after Higashioka flexor strain
The Texas Rangers placed catcher Kyle Higashioka on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right flexor strain and selected Austin Wynns from Triple-A Round Rock for catching depth behind Elias Díaz, as Danny Jansen remains sidelined and Texas pushes for the playoffs. The move leaves veteran Díaz as the primary backstop while Wynns provides immediate depth, according to MLB.com.
Key Takeaways
- Higashioka joined Jansen on the 10-day IL with a right flexor strain ahead of Texas’ 10-0 win over the White Sox.
- Austin Wynns was selected from Triple-A Round Rock after signing a minor league deal on June 23.
- Wynns hit .289/.413/.474 in 13 Triple-A games and has a career .228 MLB average over eight seasons.
- The Rangers also selected left-hander Marco Gonzales in related roster moves.
Why did Texas put Higashioka on the injured list?
Higashioka said he first felt something in his elbow midgame Sunday in Atlanta. The discomfort progressed during the game and remained sore the next day.
Having undergone Tommy John surgery in 2013, he was concerned about elbow pain. For the season he has hit .218 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 58 games, with a .785 OPS over his last 35 games since May 17.
“As of right now, it’s going to be more of an unspecified amount of time off of throwing,” Higashioka said, declining to set a timetable.
Who is Austin Wynns and what does he bring?
Austin Wynns, 35, signed with Texas on a minor league deal last month and was hitting well at Round Rock. He has big league experience with the Orioles, Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Reds, Athletics and Braves, batting .228 with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs in 299 career games.
MLB Trade Rumors notes he is now on his third MLB team of the season after time with the A’s and Braves, plus Triple-A with the Angels. He pairs with Elias Díaz, who has slashed .267/.273/.400 in 31 games since signing when Jansen went on the IL June 6.
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How else did the Rangers reshuffle the roster?
Texas also selected left-hander Marco Gonzales from Round Rock, transferring Jalen Beeks to the 60-day IL and placing José Corniell on the 15-day IL with a right flexor strain. Gonzales closed Tuesday’s 10-0 win with three scoreless innings for his first career save—his first MLB appearance since 2024.
Higashioka said the timing is tough as the club tries to make a playoff push, adding that the focus now is letting the flexor heal and returning as soon as possible.