Rangers Designate Willie Calhoun for Assignment

While Rangers paved the way for Calhoun’s exit, they also called up OF Steele Walker and sent 3B Andy Ibáñez to Triple-A

The Texas Rangers made three moves Sunday morning, the most significant being designating former starting outfielder Willie Calhoun for assignment, a precursor for his exit from the organization.

The Rangers also sent third baseman Andy Ibáñez to Triple-A Round Rock and called up outfielder Steele Walker from Round Rock. Walker will start on Sunday for the Rangers.

Walker is the third prospect to be called up this week, after infielders Josh H. Smith and Ezequiel Duran.

By designated Calhoun for assignment, the Rangers must either trade him or release him in the next seven days.

The Rangers sent Calhoun down to Round Rock in early May, a move that prompted Calhoun to ask for a trade. At the time, Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels told InsidetheRangers.com: "With performance comes opportunity. We've asked Willie to go down, play regularly and work on some things. The rest will take care of itself."

Calhoun was hitting .221 with Round Rock, with four home runs and 15 RBI. With the Rangers this season, he hit .136 with a home run and two RBI.

Calhoun was a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015. Calhoun was one of the players the Rangers received in the Yu Darvish trade in 2017. Calhoun has never played a full season with the Rangers, and has an overall MLB batting average of .241, with 32 home runs and 103 RBI.

Ibáñez, at the moment, looks like the odd player out at third base, with both Smith and Duran having played the position this week. He was hitting .216 with one home run and nine RBI this season. In 2021, when he broke into the majors, he hit .277 with seven home runs and 25 RBI.

Walker will make his MLB debut on Sunday. The 25-year-old outfielder hit .297/.395/.486 with three home runs and two steals in 20 games with Round Rock. Walker was a second-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2018, and he came to the Rangers in a trade for Nomar Mazara.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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