Texas Rangers put Mitch Garver on the IL with knee injury

Mitch Garver just cannot seem to catch a break. Just as it finally seemed like 2023 could finally be the year the Texas Rangers catcher stayed on the field long enough to make good on his potential, the team announced on Monday that their catcher will need a stint on the 10-day injured list with what’s being described as a mild knee sprain.

Garver won the Silver Slugger award with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, but appeared in just 145 games over the next three years. He stayed healthy this spring and was off to a tremendous start for the Rangers, slashing .263/.364/.579 with a pair of homers in six starts before the injury bug reared its head again.

The team has yet to offer a timetable for Garver’s return, although deeming the strain mild would seem to be a good sign. Sandy Leon, Garver’s replacement on the roster, is a defense-first catcher who isn’t a recommended fantasy add in any league. If anything, this is good news for Jonah Heim, who should get even more plate appearances in Garver’s absence and could provide some sneaky value as a .220/20-homer hitter (which, considering the state of the catcher position, is more than good enough).