Outfield candidates

David Murphy was never going to score on the play that resulted in an injury that could be as devastating to the Rangers' postseason chances as any they've suffered this season. Line drive, taken on one hop by Bobby Abreu, who was charging and came up firing with his above-average arm. Sure, there were two outs, but Sidney Ponson was struggling and had a left-hander coming to bat. Who else would take Frank Catalanotto with the bases loaded and two outs over testing a veteran's strong outfield arm and a 13-time Gold Glove winner at the plate? What would longtime third-base coach Ron Washington have done?

Now that the damage has been done, two to four weeks as the best case for Murphy's return (bet on the over), the assumption here is that Brandon Boggs will get the first crack to replace Murphy, and it could be an extended look with Milton Bradley in day-to-day mode into a second week. But who will the Rangers summon from the minor leagues to help replace their rookie of the year candidate?

John Mayberry Jr. makes the most sense, doesn't he? He needs to be added to the 40-man roster, but that's easy enough to fix. He's swinging a somewhat hot bat again. He's punishing left-handers and playing left field, the spot Murphy has been holding down more often than not of late. A Mayberry-Frank Catalanotto platoon might not be that bad.

Jason Ellison, hitting  a robust .239 at Triple A, isn't the answer. He's the most experienced, for sure, but the Rangers need someone who has the potential to drive in a run or two. Julio Borbon is on the 40-man roster, but he also hasn't spent a full season in Double A.

The side story here is that an opportunity finally exists to give Nelson Cruz perhaps his last chance to prove his big-league worth, but Cruz is on the disabled list, too, with a strained quad. That's a shame. It would have been interesting to see if these Triple-A numbers are proof that he's finally ready to break through at the top level. He could make it to Arlington, though, for some of the time Murphy's out.

-- Jeff Wilson