Rangers outfielder Alex Rios hasn’t appeared in a game since September 4 due to a nagging right thumb injury, and he’s not going to be rushed back for the final week.
Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Rios has officially been shut down for the remainder of the season, leaving him with a disappointing .280/.311/.398 slash line in 131 games. The Rangers are expected to decline his $14 million option for 2015 -- paying him a $1 million buyout instead -- and he’ll be an interesting free agent case at age 33.
Rios has been hugely productive at different points in his career -- he had 18 home runs and 42 stolen bases between the White Sox and Rangers in 2013 -- but some of his seasons have been complete clunkers.