1B Jared Walsh designated for assignment, C Jonah Heim placed on MLB Bereavement List
Atlanta, Georgia — The Texas Rangers today announced the following roster moves prior to Saturday night’s game against the Braves at Truist Park:
- First baseman Nathaniel Lowe activated from 10-day Injured List (right oblique strain).
- Catcher Sam Huff (#55) recalled from Round Rock (AAA).
- First baseman Jared Walsh designated for assignment.
- Catcher Jonah Heim placed on MLB Bereavement List.
Lowe, 28, missed the Rangers’ first 21 games with a right oblique strain suffered during Spring Training and was placed on the 10-day Injured List, retroactive to March 25. Prior to the injury, he batted .167 (3-18) with 2 RBI in 7 Cactus League ‘A’ Games this spring. Lowe appeared in 6 games on rehab assignment with Frisco (AA) and Round Rock (AAA), going 3-for-20 (.150) with one home run, one double, and 4 RBI.
The first baseman is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he set career highs in RBI (82), doubles (38), walks (93), and runs (89), slashing .262/.360/.414/.774 (163-623) in 161 games for Texas. He became the 4th Ranger to win a Gold Glove Award at first base, joining Rafael Palmeiro (1999), Mark Teixeira (2005, 2006), and Mitch Moreland (2016).
Huff, 26, is seeking his season debut after batting .321 (18-56) with 3 home runs, one triple, 5 doubles, and 13 RBI in 16 games for Triple-A Round Rock. He has seen Major League action in three different seasons (2020, 2022-23), compiling a career .262/.314/.462/.776 (51-195) slash line with 10 home runs, 9 doubles, and 20 RBI in 75 games (all with Texas).
The Rangers have seven days to release or outright Walsh to the minor leagues. The 30-year-old first baseman batted .226 (12-53) with one home run, 2 doubles, and 7 RBI in 17 games for Texas, making 14 starts at first base.
Heim, 28, is slashing .264/.284/.431/.715 (19-72) with 3 home runs, 3 doubles, and 15 RBI in 18 games for Texas this season. He has started 17 of Texas’ 21 games at catcher, with the Rangers going 11-6 in his starts behind the plate. The first date Heim is eligible to be activated is Tuesday, April 23.
With today’s transactions, the Rangers have 39 players on the Major League roster along with 6 players (Brock Burke, Carson Coleman, Jacob deGrom, Justin Foscue, Josh Jung, Tyler Mahle) on the 60-day Injured List.
