Signed to a minor-league contract by the Rangers last week, veteran first baseman Carlos Pena is back in the majors as part of Texas’ never-ending need for injury reinforcements.
Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland are both out for the season, so Pena will get a chance to take over at first base. He can still draw walks in bunches and has solid power, but Pena is 36 years old and has hit just .201 with a .678 OPS in 249 games since the beginning of 2012. He hasn’t cracked a .230 batting average since way back in 2008.
He’ll replace 32-year-old career minor leaguer Brad Snyder, who didn’t get much of an opportunity after putting up big numbers at Triple-A. Snyder heads back to the minors with a .167 batting average in 10 games.
