ARLINGTON, TEXAS—It’s been a busy year for Gilroy-native Chris Gimenez, but it hasn’t slowed him down. He left the Tampa Bay Rays behind and found himself back in the Bay Area after being claimed off waivers by the Oakland A’s just before Christmas. He was later claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers at the end of March after being optioned by the A’s and has been making his presence known in Arlington ever since.
The 31-year-old catcher has been a consistent part of the Rangers rotation, boasting a .385 average as of Wednesday, which includes his first four-hit game on May 22 in Detroit. Gimenez has been a pleasant surprise for Rangers fans and he’s having a blast doing it.
“I think a lot of it is confidence and just knowing that I have an opportunity,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it a little bit slower and really make the best of my opportunity. I’m not getting any younger and I know my opportunities are probably few and far between from here on out. I’m just really trying to take advantage of it and have fun doing it.”
The Rangers had a rocky start to their season, going on a six-game skid at the end of April and went 12-16 through the month of May. Texas has been plagued with injuries, losing high-profile players like Prince Fielder for the season, while 13 others are on its disabled list. The Rangers may be down, but Gimenez said they certainly aren’t out. Right fielder Engle Beltre, third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, pitcher Joseph Ortiz and catcher Geovany Soto are anticipated to return after the All-Star break and Gimenez is confident his team can make a strong second half push towards the postseason.
“We’ve had some serious injuries here and I think a lot of people are counting us out, but we’re kind of using that as a little more motivation,” he said. “Any time you can play for a playoff contender it’s obviously a great opportunity. I had my first chance to experience the playoffs last year (with Tampa Bay) and I’d do anything to get possibly get back there. That was the most fun I’ve had on a baseball field.”
In the meantime, Gimenez is cherishing every moment spent with his Texas teammates and doing the best he can to keep the Rangers pointed in the right direction.
“We’ve really got a good group. I feel like we’ve got a real good mixture of veteran guys and younger guys,” Gimenez said. “It seems to be a good mix—the clubhouse is awesome. I’m enjoying myself and I’m looking forward to continuing what I know I could do, but was just sort of waiting for the opportunity for.”
