Rangers place Jake Burger on the injured list

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Texas Rangers placed first baseman Jake Burger on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a strained left oblique.

Burger was injured on a swing during Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Pirates. Infielder Justin Foscue was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and was in uniform for Saturday’s game.

Utility player Ezequiel Duran is expected to be the primary first baseman while Burger recovers.

“I want to give Zeke some runway here,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.

This is the third straight season that Burger has gone on the IL with a side injury. However, Burger is optimistic that he will not be sidelined long.

“I’ve dealt with this before and it’s been quick (to heal),” Burger said. “My mind is on coming back on the 11th day, getting back as soon as I can.”

Burger was acquired from Miami in an offseason trade. He is hitting .220 with 10 homers in 65 games after going deep 29 times last season. He was demoted to Triple-A for a week in May.

Also Saturday, Nathan Eovaldi threw a simulated game of 50 pitches and three innings, and Jon Gray had a 35-pitch bullpen session. Eovaldi and Gray are coming back form injuries.

Eovaldi could rejoin the team’s rotation next week when Texas plays a three-game series at Baltimore that begins on Monday night. He has been on the injured list since June 1 due to right posterior elbow inflammation.

Eovaldi has a 4-3 record and 1.56 ERA in 12 starts this season.

“Everything went well,” he said. “I threw all my pitches. I feel like I’m ready to come back.”

Gray has yet to pitch this season after fracturing his right wrist during spring training. There is no timetable for his return.

Center fielder Wyatt Lankford was out of the lineup for a second straight game because of back spasms. Bochy expects him to play on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series.

Foscue made his major league debut last year and hit .048 in 15 games with Texas. At Round Rock this season, he was batting .269 with 10 homers in 50 games.