Rangers Place Hot-Hitting Elvis Andrus on IL and Promote Willie Calhoun

Already in a bit of a rut, the Rangers will now have to work around the loss of one of their best hitters.

The team has placed shortstop Elvis Andrus on the injured list due to a hamstring strain and have recalled outfielder Willie Calhoun from Triple-A.

Rangers Recall Willie Calhoun, Place Elvis Andrus On Injured List https://t.co/vjb8SDDUQk pic.twitter.com/6wDTrDTbgp
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) May 15, 2019

The hot-hitting shortstop exited the team's Wednesday night game against the Royals immediately after he first experienced the tightness in hamstring.

Andrus has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year, slashing .325/.373/.510 through 157 plate appearances. He also has six home runs and 26 runs batted in as a key cog in the Rangers' top-10 offense.

Calhoun, a former top-100 prospect, is off to an equally impressive start in Triple-A. In 138 plate appearances, he's batting .304 with eight home runs and 22 runs batted in.

Rangers' Elvis Andrus exits game vs. Royals with hamstring tightness, will be further evaluated @Evan_P_Grant | #TogetherWe https://t.co/XCqXiFyrJS
— SportsDay Rangers (@dmn_rangers) May 15, 2019

The loss of Andrus couldn't have come at a worse time for Texas. Losers of five straight, the Rangers have been outscored by 28 runs during their losing streak and are in desperate need of offense.

Fortunately, they're scheduled to play against some weak opponents while Andrus recovers, including the Royals, the Angels, and the Mariners. If things go smoothly, they might be able to power through his absence largely unscathed.