Tuesday, May 26

ARLINGTON -- On Monday, MLB.com Rangers beat reporter Kennedi Landry held an Ask Me Anything on Reddit with Rangers fans at r/TexasRangers. This mailbag features questions and answers from the full AMA, which you can read here.

Hey Kennedi, I'm curious. When the Rangers have a bad series like getting swept by the Angels, and losing the last two games in arguably infuriating ways (not scoring with the bases loaded, making errors, etc.), is there anger in the clubhouse? Is anyone throwing water coolers, or Skip [Schumaker] yelling at the players? Even just a team meeting?

I'm just curious if these losses do anything to shake things up, or if they just shrug it off and move on to the next one.

Similar to another question I answered, this isn't the most expressive group of guys. We're only allowed in there for so much time and we only know what they tell us. If there's yelling by Skip (or Bruce Bochy last season), we're not seeing it. That being said, there's definitely frustration with individual players when they fall short (Jake Burger, Jacob deGrom, Josh Jung and Justin Foscue all shouldered a lot of blame and expressed as much during this last road trip).

I don't think they're flat-out shrugging things off, but there is an awareness in the clubhouse that it's a 162-game season. They're not opposed to shaking things up. Skip obviously hasn't been opposed to switching up the lineup a million times. But even so, I think there won't be any sweeping changes until the injured guys (Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Josh Smith) get back, at the very least. Whether that's the right way to go about it or not, I'm not totally sure. But they're clearly still trying to figure out how to get the best out of these healthy players while the lineup is missing some notable hitters.

Serious question: How is the fact that the AL West is pretty terrible this year affecting the team? Are they more ambivalent about losing because nobody else is doing very well? Or is it motivating them because it seems pretty much open to anybody?

Serious answer: I don't think how good or bad the division is actively affects the players. They're definitely not ambivalent about losing, but I wouldn't say it's a particularly motivating factor. It's cliché, but they're not really worrying about what everybody else is doing right now. That doesn't really matter when you really just need to win games. 

That being said, I do think it'll affect how the front office addresses things at the Deadline. Not only is the AL West pretty abysmal, but the AL Wild Card race is also looking just as poor competition-wise in those last two spots. In theory (and I know this means nothing considering this last road trip), the Rangers have one of the easiest schedules from June on. I'd imagine if they're within striking distance of a Wild Card spot (or the division), it will almost definitely affect moves on the buyer/seller front. I'm not saying I agree with that course of action. But that's where my head is at with it. 

What Rangers prospect do you think is underrated and one that fans should keep a closer eye on?

I'm a big fan of the two Tennessee Volunteers the Rangers have selected these last two years. Dylan Dreiling (the club's No. 10 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) is raking with Frisco this season with a .305/.406/.477 slash line going into Tuesday. He can work counts, draw walks, steal some bases and has a fair amount of pull-side power. He'll be interesting to watch at the upper levels of the Minors, with some of the hitting depth a bit thin right now.

I also think AJ Russell (No. 3, per Pipeline) will be a good one to keep an eye on as he develops. The Rangers have clearly had a turnaround in pitching development over the last few years, and while much of that talent has been traded away, it's still a huge part of the organization. Russell is a polished college pitcher who is already one of the best in the system.

How do you feel about Skip’s penchant for using a pinch-hitter in the middle innings of games? Too aggressive? He’ll chase that platoon advantage in the sixth, but then wind up with guys in less-than-favorable matchups in the eighth or ninth.

Skip's managerial style is definitely pretty old-school National League, which tracks for a guy who only ever played in the NL. It's a bit aggressive at times, but I don't hate it. When he's "chasing," as you say, it's often in leverage situations with runners in scoring position. It hasn't always worked, especially not this last road trip, but I see his thought process, even if it lines up "unfavorably" later in the game. And honestly, I think the issue right now lies more in the options he has. The roster construction, given the injuries, doesn't exactly lend itself to many favorable matchups at the moment.

Here is the status of key injured Rangers:

Jung (left shoulder soreness) was out of the lineup on Monday for a second straight day with shoulder soreness. An MRI came back clean, and Jung could start today. More >>

Langford (Grade 1 right flexor strain) took regular batting practice on Monday. The plan is for him to take live BP on Friday. If that goes well, the team will likely set up a rehab assignment. More >>

Seager (back inflammation/spasms) had to cancel a live batting practice session scheduled for Saturday after his recovery workout didn’t go as planned. The Rangers will evaluate him in about a week. More >>

Smith (right glute strain, wrist inflammation, viral meningitis) was diagnosed with viral meningitis while on the injured list with both a glute strain and wrist inflammation. He has returned from the hospital, but will still be away from the field for a few more days before the Rangers begin a return-to-play program. More >>

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