Josh Hamilton Out With Virus; Leonys Martin Recalled

If the question hasn't been asked loudly and repeatedly by this point, it probably should be right about now: What in the hell is going on with the health situation in the Rangers' clubhouse? Are the protocols of clubhouse illness prevention not being followed by the medical/training staff, or is this just a freakish outbreak that is completely beyond the control of team/medical personnel?

Per FOXSportsSouthwest.com's Anthony Andro, the Rangers have recalled outfielder Leonys Martin from Triple-A Round Rock and have gone ahead and placed right-hander Koji Uehara (strained right latissimus) on the 15-day disabled list, as Josh Hamilton is currently hospitalized with an intestinal virus, and will not be released for another 12-24 hours. It's not immediately apparent whether this virus is connected to the stomach virus that felled Derek Holland, or whether this is connected to the string of illnesses that have affected other guys like Yu Darvish, Mike Napoli, and Ian Kinsler, but this is an extremely worrying trend, one that should engender some good, hard questions.

With Uehara being DL'd a day ahead of schedule to make room for Martin on the active roster, the Rangers are going to have to make another roster move tomorrow to make room for Saturday's starter, Justin Grimm, and the safe money there is probably on the Rangers choosing to option Yoshinori Tateyama, who is clearly miscast as an all-purpose reliever and should probably only be utilized as a ROOGY-type arm from this point forward -- if he manages to make it back to the majors at all, that is. That would leave Texas with Mike Adams, Michael Kirkman, Mark Lowe, Joe Nathan, Robbie Ross, and Tanner Scheppers in the bullpen, or, in effect, a six-man bullpen with no real long man, which is hugely problematic if the rotation doesn't chew up innings.

Martin is primarily being recalled for depth purposes, as Hamilton's absence meant that the Rangers had no true center fielders on the roster aside from Craig Gentry; with that said, though, Martin has batted .344/.414/.547 in an injury-shortened 2012 campaign at Round Rock, with some decent pop and a good batting eye mixed in, and with Martin getting the start tonight in center field, you'd like to see him produce a 'wow'-type moment or two along the way, especially since there's a prevailing hope out there that he'll be the Rangers' No. 1 center fielder in 2013.

The thing you now begin to worry about with Hamilton is whether this is going to turn into a prolonged health issue, such as we've seen with Derek Holland; the fact that he's already been hospitalized for the treatment of this specific malady is troubling, and you would imagine that if this is going to be something that will keep Hamilton off the field for 5-7 days, that the Rangers would go ahead and throw him on the 15-day disabled list. Under that scenario, David Murphy and Nelson Cruz are your everyday starting corner outfielders, with Martin and Gentry splitting time in center field ... and with Michael Young apparently batting third for the duration, as he will do tonight.

This just keeps getting better and better.