Rangers put OF Mazara on disabled list, call up OF Calhoun

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The Texas Rangers are going to get another big league look at the top prospect they got in the trade for Yu Darvish last summer.

Outfielder Willie Calhoun was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday for his first stint in the majors this season after the Rangers put outfielder Nomar Mazara on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right thumb.

''We felt like this is the right time for him come up here and get an opportunity to play on this team,'' manager Jeff Banister said. ''It just got to a point where we felt it was best to put (Mazara) on the DL, let him go through the treatment, and get Willie up here.''

Calhoun was hitting .306 with eight homers and 42 RBIs in 94 games for Round Rock this season, and hit .429 in 16 games this month. The 23-year-old finished last season with the Rangers, hitting .265 with one homer and four RBIs in his 13 games.

Mazara injured the thumb on his glove hand on a defensive play last Saturday at Baltimore. He finished that game but didn't play Sunday. The DL move is retroactive to Tuesday.

''We don't have an exact feel for it. I know that since the injury, there has been improvement,'' Banister said.

Texas got Calhoun as part of the deal last July when Darvish was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Calhoun was primarily a second baseman in the Dodgers' organization, but has been playing in the outfield for the Rangers.

Calhoun batted second as the designated hitter Friday night against the Cleveland Indians. Shin-Soo Choo, the Rangers lone All-Star, started in right field in Mazara's usual spot instead of being the DH.

Banister said Calhoun will be part of the outfield rotation, and will get some games as the designated hitter. The primary reason he was the DH on Friday night was because of a late-afternoon flight to join the team.

''All of the reports have been that he's improved on defense,'' Banister said. ''He's played a pretty steady routine, outfield defense.''

Mazara has hit .272 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs in 91 games for the Rangers this season. This is the first time the 23-year-old slugger has been on the DL since making getting promoted to the big leagues on April 10, 2016.

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