Rangers option Nick Solak to Triple-A, activate Mitch Garver

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DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Texas Rangers have optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Solak to Triple-A Round Rock and have activated catcher Mitch Garver off of the 10-day Injured List, the club announced Thursday.

Garver will be in the starting lineup for the club's series opener tonight against the Astros in Houston.

Garver, who went on the IL on May 9 with a right forearm flexor strain, will temporarily be limited to designated hitter duties upon his return Thursday, making Solak the odd man out due to the club needing to keep Sam Huff on the active roster to mix and match with catcher Jonah Heim.

Solak has batted .209 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI in 26 games for Texas this season. His career OPS dropped below .700 (.698) after he went 0-3 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's game vs. the Angels.

“I think the bar has to be higher,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said before Solak's demotion, via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. “And I think Nick would say the same thing. I don’t think he expects himself to be a .700 OPS guy. He’s got power. He’s got ability to get on base. He’s got the grind mentality. He’s he does a lot of things well. He could probably walk more. But I would expect more and I don’t think anybody expects more than Nick.”

Garver, one of the Rangers' shiny new acquisitions this offseason, has been anything but that in his first 22 games this season.

The 31-year-old was expected to bring some offensive punch to the lineup, but he was hitting just .205/.292/.346/.638 to go along with three home runs and eight RBI across 89 plate appearances when he went on the IL.

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