Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers have made several roster adjustments ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field. The transactions include the promotion of infielder Blaine Crim and infielder Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock, while infielder Jake Burger has been optioned to Triple-A. Additionally, infielder Nick Ahmed has been designated for assignment.
Roster Moves:
- INF Blaine Crim (#13) – Contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
- INF Jonathan Ornelas – Recalled from Triple-A Round Rock.
- INF Jake Burger – Optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
- INF Nick Ahmed – Designated for assignment.
Player Profiles & Impact
Blaine Crim (INF, 27 years old)
Crim has been one of the most productive hitters in Triple-A Round Rock, slashing .313/.365/.565 with 7 home runs, 6 doubles, and 25 RBIs in 28 games this season. His impressive start has placed him among Pacific Coast League leaders in several categories:
- Tied 1st – Home runs
- 2nd – Total bases (65)
- Tied 4th – Hits
- 6th – RBIs
- 8th – Slugging percentage
Crim was named Pacific Coast Player of the Week (March 31-April 6) after batting .520 (13-25) with 6 extra-base hits and 9 RBIs in a six-game series against Toledo. He has played first base (20 starts) and designated hitter (8 starts) for the Express, with a flawless 164 total chances at first base defensively.
Since 2023, Crim has been one of the top hitters in Triple-A, ranking 1st in hits (319), doubles (70), and total bases (552), while sitting 2nd in RBIs (219) and runs (193). He leads all Texas minor leaguers in home runs, hits, doubles, and RBIs since 2019. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Crim was selected by the Rangers in the 19th round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Mississippi College.
Jonathan Ornelas (INF, 24 years old)
Ornelas joins the Rangers for his second stint this season (previously March 30-April 8). During his first Major League appearance this year, he went 0-for-4 with one walk in three games, making one start at shortstop.
At Triple-A Round Rock, Ornelas has struggled offensively, batting .145 (8-55) with 5 RBIs in 18 games. However, he has provided defensive versatility, making 17 starts across shortstop (9), second base (4), third base (3), and left field (1) with a .933 fielding percentage.
Ornelas has played in the Majors for three consecutive seasons (2023-25), appearing in 29 career MLB games while batting .188 (9-48) with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. He has spent his entire professional career in the Rangers organization after being drafted in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Raymond S. Kellis High School (Glendale, Arizona).
Jake Burger (INF, 29 years old)
Burger has struggled at the plate this season, hitting .190/.231/.330 with 3 home runs and 12 RBIs in 30 games for Texas. He started 29 of the team’s first 32 games at first base, maintaining a .987 fielding percentage with 25 assists.
Acquired from the Miami Marlins on December 11, 2024, Burger joined Texas in exchange for infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas, as well as left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza.
Nick Ahmed (INF, 35 years old)
The Rangers now have seven days to trade, release, or outright Ahmed to the minor leagues. Ahmed was selected to the Rangers’ roster on April 23 but struggled offensively, going 0-for-9 with one walk in five games (three starts at shortstop).
A veteran infielder, Ahmed has played 12 seasons in the Major Leagues with Arizona (2014-23), San Francisco (2024), Los Angeles-NL (2024), San Diego (2024), and Texas (2025).
Rangers’ Current Roster Status
Following these transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on their Major League roster. The team also has three players on the 60-day Injured List:
- Cody Bradford
- Jon Gray
- Josh Sborz
Texas will look to build momentum as they kick off their series against Seattle tonight at Globe Life Field.
