The first bit of bad news hit Rangers camp yesterday with the announcement that Cody Freeman is out with lower back fracture.

He’s out at least six weeks. Then, he he’ll have to go through his own version of spring training to get baseball ready.

It’s a horrible blow for the kid they called “The Little Rascal” last year. Although his stats weren’t that impressive, he brought with him the intangible of infectious energy that briefly helped nudge the Rangers back into playoff hope. 

With Marcus Semien broke his foot at the end of August, Freeman filled in for him at second, contributed key hits, and helped spark the Rangers to a remarkable fifteen wins in nineteen games. Just when you thought the Rangers were dead, they had new life from an unlikely source.

But, just as soon as the winning started, it ended. Texas lost eleven of the last twelve games he started, and their playoff hopes dwindled away.

His stat line wasn’t flashy, though. He batted just .228, with a .258 on-base percentage and a .600 OPS. It wasn’t the frequency of the hits, it seemed to be the timing. He just seemed to get the hit when it was needed. Unfortunately for the Rangers, one player couldn’t plug the needed offense lacking up and down the lineup.

Freeman came into camp this year hoping to win the second base job vacated by the trade of Semien. To be fair, it wasn’t really a battle. There’s no way Josh Smith isn’t the Rangers second baseman this season. He’s earned it.

But the Rangers were hoping Freeman’s spark could at least create energy in camp over the competition.

That all went away. Cody Freeman has been shut down. 

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Colorado vs Texas, 2:05, 105.3 FM