SEATTLE (AP) — Adrian Beltre’s return from the disabled list lasted just five games.
The Texas Rangers put the third baseman back on the DL on Tuesday, two days after he aggravated his left hamstring injury.
Rangers assistant general manager Josh Boyd said Texas was awaiting results of Beltre’s MRI and could not project a recovery period. Texas made the move retroactive to Monday and selected the contract of infielder Hanser Alberto from Triple-A Round Rock.
“Unfortunately any time you lose your team leader who is fresh off the DL, of course it has a significant impact,” Boyd said.
The 39-year-old Beltre missed 12 games between April 24 and May 8. He got hurt on a defensive play in the seventh inning of a loss at Houston on Sunday when he turned to try to get out a runner coming to third base. Beltre said he was experiencing a similar feeling but in a different area of his left hamstring.
Belte will remain with the club throughout the current trip, which ends Sunday in Chicago, and the team wants his input on his recovery.
“We are not talking about a 25-year-old, 26-year-old. We are talking about a future Hall of Famer that likes being on the field, likes to play — loves to play,” manager Jeff Banister said. “He should be given some latitude there to be able to have his own way to go.”
Beltre has 3,080 hits and is batting .314 in 29 games this season, his 21st in the big leagues. He missed 12 games on the DL because of the hamstring.
Infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa started at third base for Texas on Tuesday and likely will draw the majority of starts there, especially since second baseman Rougned Odor was reinstated from the DL on Friday.
Banister prefers to keep Joey Gallo at first base or in left field, but did not rule out that the slugger could return to third base. He played 72 games at third last season.
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