Walsh signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Tuesday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Walsh elected free agency after being removed from the Rangers' 40-man roster earlier this month. The 30-year-old hit just .226/.317/.321 with one home run through 60 plate appearances with Texas. He'll go to extended spring training for now before eventually reporting to Triple-A Charlotte, where he'll give the White Sox some veteran protection at first base.
... See More... See Less
Jared Walsh: Enters free agency
Rotowire
Walsh cleared waivers Wednesday and elected to become a free agent.
Walsh was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Saturday to make room for Nathaniel Lowe's return from the IL, and the 30-year-old first baseman will now take his chances on the open market. He is slashing .226/.317/.321 with a home and seven RBI through 60 plate appearances on the year and should be able to at least secure a minor-league deal with another organization.
The Rangers designated Walsh for assignment Saturday.
Walsh will lose his spot on the roster with Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) returning from the injured list Saturday. The 30-year-old slashed .226/.317/.321 across 60 plate appearances during his time with Texas and could attract interest on the waiver wire from any team in need of help at first base.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Out against lefty
Rotowire
Walsh is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Walsh will sit for a third consecutive contest, as Atlanta will start left-hander Chris Sale on Friday. The righty-hitting Ezequiel Duran will start at first base and bat sixth in the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Sitting against righty
Rotowire
Walsh is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.
The lefty-hitting Walsh will close out the series in Detroit with two consecutive absences from the lineup, though Thursday's is more noteworthy since the Tigers are bringing a right-hander (Kenta Maeda) to the hill. Walsh has been operating in a strong-side platoon role at first base all season, but he's mustered an underwhelming .638 OPS through 60 plate appearances and looks at risk of losing work to Ezequiel Duran.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Out against southpaw
Rotowire
Walsh is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Detroit.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal is the Tigers' starting pitcher Wednesday, so the lefty-hitting Walsh will begin Wednesday's game on the bench. Ezequiel Duran will play first base.
Walsh is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Houston.
Walsh is 2-for-18 with four walks, four RBI and eight strikeouts over his past seven games, and he'll take a seat against Astros righty Cristian Javier. Ezequiel Duran will start at first base and bat eighth Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Retreats to bench versus lefty
Rotowire
Walsh is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
With Oakland bringing a lefty (JP Sears) to the hill Thursday, the lefty-hitting Walsh will take a seat for the second time in the series. Ezequiel Duran will step in for Walsh at first base and will bat sixth.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Steps out of lineup
Rotowire
Walsh is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against Oakland.
Walsh posted an .842 OPS while starting the past nine games but will head to the bench Tuesday against Athletics lefty Alex Wood. Ezequiel Duran will shift to first base while Davis Wendzel starts at the hot corner.
Walsh went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Rays.
The lefty-batting Walsh made a fourth consecutive start at first base, including one against a lefty, and has hit safely in all four, going 7-for-18 with two extra-base hits, three RBI and five runs. The season started as a likely platoon of Walsh (against righties) and Ezequiel Duran (lefties) while primary first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) recovers. However, third baseman Josh Jung's wrist injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least six weeks, may require Duran to help fill that void.
Walsh started at first base and went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two additional runs scored in Saturday's 11-2 win over the Cubs.
Walsh's two-run blast in the second inning wiped out Chicago's 2-0 lead, as the Rangers thumped their way to an easy win. The left-handed hitting Walsh got the start against a right-hander after Ezequiel Duran played first base in Thursday's opener against a lefty. Those two are handling the position until Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) is ready to play.
Walsh is out of the lineup Thursday against the Cubs.
The Cubs will send southpaw Justin Steele to the mound to start their season, so the lefty-hitting Walsh will begin Opening Day in the dugout. Ezequiel Duran will instead start at first base and bat seventh.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Added to big-league roster
Rotowire
The Rangers selected Walsh's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
Walsh was able to win a spot on Texas' Opening Day roster after putting up an .827 OPS with three home runs this spring. He's likely in line to see most of the at-bats at first base against right-handed pitching while Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) is on the shelf.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Favored for Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Walsh is expected to be named to the 26-man roster Tuesday, Dave Sessions of MLB.com reports.
Walsh and Justin Foscue battled it out during spring training -- each recorded more than 50 plate appearances during Cactus League games -- but the Rangers are apparently leaning toward Walsh, a non-roster invitee that needs to be added to the 40-man roster. That much was confirmed Monday, when the transactions page of MiLB.com posted the Rangers had optioned Foscue to Triple-A Round Rock. Ultimately, it was Walsh's wealth of experience at first base that was the deciding factor. With Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) set to open the season on the injured list, the Rangers wanted a more experienced first baseman, and Foscue only started playing there this spring. The right-handed hitting Ezequiel Duran will serve as the backup and possible platoon mate for the lefty-swinging Walsh. Texas faces left-hander Justin Steele on Opening Day, which may dictate that Duran draws the start in that matchup.
