Last week, Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun was hit in the face by a Julio Urías pitch in the first inning of a Cactus League game against the Dodgers. Calhoun was carted off and taken to a hospital, where a CT scan indicated a fractured jaw. He later had a plate inserted to stabilize his jaw.
In the time since, the start of the regular season has been pushed back to at least mid-May due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) precautions. That gives Calhoun some time to recover. In fact, the 25-year-old says he will be ready whenever the season starts, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.
It was believed at the time that Nick Solak, Scott Heineman, and/or Adolis García could have seen increased playing time while Calhoun was on the mend, but that appears to no longer be the case.
Last season, in his first run of consistent playing time in the majors, Calhoun hit .269/.323/.524 with 21 home runs and 48 RBI over 337 plate appearances. The former top prospect, who ranked as high as No. 36 in baseball according to Baseball America prior to the 2018 season, has to be exciting the Rangers and their fans despite the freak injury.
