Ezequiel Duran DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oakland Athletics. Duran will get a breather after going 6-for-13 at the plate over the weekend series against the Seattle Mariners. The 25-year-old is hitting .253 with three home runs and 20 RBI over 89 games this season. Jonathan Ornelas will cover the hot corner and bat ninth versus right-hander Mitch Spence on Tuesday. The rookie infielder hasn't done much in his short time with the team and can be avoided for fantasy purposes.

The Texas Rangers optioned infielder Ezequiel Duran to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday and selected the contract of outfielder Derek Hill from Round Rock in a corresponding move. The team also activated infield prospect Justin Foscue (oblique) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Round Rock. Duran will probably resurface with the Rangers in the big leagues at some point in 2024, but for now he'll head to the minors to work on his craft. The 25-year-old Dominican infielder had a solid first full season in the big leagues in 2023 with the Rangers, slashing .276/.324/.443 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases in 122 games, but he's taken a step back this year and is currently slashing .256/.294/.324 with only two home runs and 13 RBI in 187 plate appearances over 58 games played.

Texas Rangers infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran kept a hot bat on Sunday versus the Colorado Rockies. Duran went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. His two hits marked his fourth straight multi-hit performance. Duran has seen an uptick in play with rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford (hamstring) and third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) both on the injured list and has taken advantage of it with 13 hits over his last 26 at-bats. He doesn't have any homers this year and only has four RBI with one stolen base, but managers looking for hits should consider Duran. With eligibility at first baseman, third base, shortstop and outfielder, Duran can be a helpful player for managers in deeper leagues until he cools off with the bat.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that infielder Ezequiel Duran will now spend more time at third base and the infield as a whole than in the outfield with starting third baseman Josh Jung (calf) out for two to three weeks with a calf strain suffered in Friday. The team's No. 6 prospect, Justin Foscue, will also get reps at the hot corner, but he'll likely get most of his reps on the right side of the infield at first and second. Jung's injury also opens the door for the coaching staff to get more in-depth looks at non-roster invitees Jonathan Ornelas, Davis Wendzel and Matt Duffy. Duran and Josh Smith will see a lot of time on the left side of the infield this spring with Jung and Corey Seager (groin) injured. Duran, 24, got off to a great start in 2023 before fading down the stretch and not even playing in the team's World Series run. His versatility is an asset, but playing time is going to be hard to come by unless injuries open up time for him on the infield.