Wyatt

Langford

There’s little doubt the Rangers will go with an outfield of Langford, Brandon Nimmo and Evan Carter against righties (with Carter perhaps sitting against lefties), but the alignment is in question, what with both Langford and Nimmo being best suited for left. The Rangers might feel that Langford in center and Carter in right would be their best alignment, even though Carter would seem to be the stronger center fielder of the two.

Langford’s season is officially over following an early exit from Tuesday’s game against the Twins with left side tightness. The 23-year-old power/speed combo outfielder battled oblique issues throughout the season, which ended up requiring three separate trips to the injured list. He wraps up his first 20-homer, 20-steal campaign with a solid .241/.344/.431 triple-slash line with 73 runs scored, 22 homers, 62 RBI and 22 stolen bases across 134 games. He’ll be an early-round selection in fantasy drafts next spring.

Langford has been battling a lingering side issue recently so it’s not a complete surprise that the issue cropped up again. The 23-year-old franchise building block was 0-for-2 before exiting the contest in the fifth inning. He’ll presumably undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. It wouldn’t be surprising if he were shut down for the final few games with the Rangers no longer truly in playoff contention.

Langford’s home run was his 22nd of the year, as was his stolen base. The 23-year-old outfielder hit a solo shot off Lake Bachar in the sixth inning. Langford looked healthy after missing two games with a side issue. Seemingly the only thing preventing him from future stardom are the nagging injuries.

It’s an extremely encouraging development for fantasy managers heading into the final week of the regular season to see Langford back following a two-game absence due to left side tightness. The 23-year-old power/speed combo outfielder’s status should continue to be closely monitored since side issues can be tricky and recurring matters, but it sounds like he’ll manage to avoid a trip to the injured list.

With their playoff hopes evaporating almost completely earlier this week, the Rangers aren’t going to take any chances with one of the key components of their young nucleus. The 23-year-old fantasy standout was held out of Friday’s lineup with left side tightness and has required two separate trips to the injured list this season due to oblique issues. There should be some additional clarity on his status before the weekend wraps up.

It’s a concerning development since Langford has required two separate injured list stints this season due to oblique issues. With Texas’ playoff hopes fading it seems highly unlikely they’ll take any chances with the long-term health of one of their core building blocks. There should be some additional clarity on his status at some point this weekend.

Langford doubled in the eighth inning and scored the Rangers’ first run on a sacrifice fly by Joc Pederson. He then gave Texas the lead with a base hit in the ninth for what would be the game-winning run. The 23-year-old outfielder is slashing .244/.342/.435 with 21 homers, 72 runs scored, 61 RBI, and 19 steals across 549 plate appearances.

Langford gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead with his RBI triple off of Aaron Ashby in the home half of the fifth inning. He then scored on a run-scoring double from Kyle Higashioka that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Langford also struck out twice in the ballgame. The 23-year-old outfielder is slashing .245/.340/.438 with 21 homers, 60 RBI, 18 stolen bases and a 142/65 K/BB ratio across 535 plate appearances in his sophomore campaign.

Stop me if you’ve head this one before, but Langford is producing at an All-Star level as the season approaches its end. Yes, the 23-year-old outfielder is finishing the season strong and fantasy managers are dreaming about what could be next year for the second year in a row. Fantasy gold or another Fell For It award awaits.