Langford out for 5-7 days with mild oblique strain

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford has a ¡°mild oblique strain,¡± manager Bruce Bochy announced ahead of Friday¡¯s Cactus League opener against the Royals.

Bochy said the plan is to keep Langford out of baseball activities for five to seven days and then see how he is.

The injury occurred a few days ago, according to Bochy, but Langford originally didn¡¯t think he would need to back off of training or anything. He felt it again when taking swings on Thursday, so the staff ordered an MRI, which showed the strain.

¡°We don¡¯t think this¡¯ll impact Opening Day,¡± Bochy said. ¡°But this is why you need depth. To handle bumps in the road, not just in Spring Training, but during the season. That¡¯s why it¡¯s critical that you have guys that can step in and be productive Major League players and soften the blow if you start losing your guys. But the timing on this couldn't have been better, really. He won¡¯t have any problems getting the numbers he needs.¡±

Langford is projected to be the Opening Day left fielder for the Rangers if healthy. During his rookie year in 2024, he played in 105 games in left, 15 in center and 25 at designated hitter. He hit .253/.325/.415 with 16 home runs in his first big league season, though he missed a month with a hamstring strain.

In the Cactus League opener against the Royals, Leody Taveras (center), Ezequiel Duran (right) and non-roster invitee Sam Haggerty (left) manned the outfield to start. Adolis Garc¨ªa started as the designated hitter.