On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers placed first baseman Jake Burger on the injured list with a left quad strain. To fill his place, they plan on calling up a former Milwaukee Brewers slugger who joined the team on a minor league deal earlier this month.
Milwaukee Brewers Fan Favorite Gets Another Chance Out West
At Triple-A Round Rock, Rowdy Tellez went 5-15 with two home runs and a double. Following a successful workout with the Rangers, it seems he’s done enough to earn his next shot. ESPN reports that Tellez will join the Texas roster when action resumes on Friday.
It has been two seasons since he last swung a bat for the Brewers. He started the year with another American League West team, the Mariners, but was released in late June. Pop wasn’t the problem. On the season, Tellez hit 11 homers and drove in 27 in 173. at bats. A .249 on-base percentage was not so flattering.
Tellez spent 2024 in Pittsburgh, where he put up numbers similar to his last season in Milwaukee. Near the end of the year, the Pirates released him four at bats before he would have triggered a $250,000 contract bonus.
In his seven-year career, Tellez has enjoyed his best success as a Brewer. Coming over in midseason trade from Toronto in 2021, he mashed in Milwaukee to close out the year, driving in 28 in 158 at bats. He also hit a pair of homeruns in the division series against Atlanta.
The next season was his most productive in the big leagues as Tellez launched 35 bombs to go with 89 RBIs. Never a high average hitter, the lefty lumberjack struggled to replicate that level of power in 2023 with the Brewers and they let him walk that offseason.
In Seattle this season, Tellez rediscovered his thump from three years ago; now he has just has to hit for a slightly better average and draw a few more walks. In 726 career games, he has hit 116 homeruns and slashed .232/.299/.436.
Despite a relatively brief stint, he remains a popular figure with many Brewers fans. They’ll be rooting for him to uncork at least a few moonshots in the hot air of Arlington, Texas. The Rangers kick off the second half against Detroit on Friday night.
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