MINNESOTA — The first rule of Designated Hitter Club? Learn to perform in Designated Hitter Club.
Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger certainly has. He started at designated hitter Tuesday vs. the Minnesota Twins at Target Field and has played the position in four of the club’s last eight games.
“He just seems comfortable DHing,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Some guys don’t want to DH, but he’s done a good job at it so we’re going to keep him there.”
Bochy said that Burger’s defense has been too good at first base to keep him at designated hitter long term and acknowledged that he will return to the field soon. But, while the club rotates players through the designated hitter position in the wake of Joc Pederson’s broken hand, Burger functions as a plus option.
The 29-year-old has a career .258/.293/.559 slash line in 68 games at designated hitter. His .852 OPS is the highest he’s posted at any position that he’s started double-digit times and he entered play Tuesday with a 6 for 12 line and two home runs at designated hitter this season.
The Rangers have gotten a league-worst .521 OPS out of the designated hitter position this year. Pederson, who had a .507 OPS before he fractured his wrist, did drag that number down significantly. Bochy believes that the players who succeed in the role are the ones that can become accustomed to “all the free time” in between innings.
“Then once you do, you like it,” Bochy said with a smile. “Sign me up for that in the next life, DHing, that’d be the perfect job.”
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