--RHP Vicente Padilla is scheduled to be activated from the DL Tuesday to face Seattle. Padilla has been dealing with neck and shoulder soreness for most of the last two months. He has not won a game since July 25 and has been inactive since August 24. Seattle is a good matchup for him. The Rangers have won all four of his starts against the Mariners this year and he has a 2.52 ERA in those games. He is 1-0 against Seattle.
--Noted sports orthopedist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., on Monday confirmed inflammation in C Jarrod Saltalmacchia's elbow, which had been diagnosed by team orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister a week ago. While there is inflammation around the key ulnar collateral ligament, there does not appear to be any damage to the ligament. Saltalamacchia will rest the elbow for six weeks and then be re-evaluated. The doctors are optimistic Saltalamacchia will be able to play some winter ball. --Short-season Class A Spokane won the Northwest League title on Sunday with a dramatic 10th-inning win over Salem-Keizer. The Rangers' Double-A affiliate (Frisco) and Triple-A club (Oklahoma) have both advanced to their respective league championships.
--There is still no word on whether OF David Murphy will be able to play again this season. Murphy has been dealing with a knee sprain since early August. Murphy joined the Rangers in August, 2007 after a trade from Boston. If he doesn't play again this season, he will have played the equivalent of one full season since joining the Rangers. His numbers: a .288 batting average, 17 homers, 88 RBIs, 40 doubles and 80 runs scored.
--The Rangers go into their final two meetings of the season against Seattle having already clinched a winning record against the Mariners (10-7). It will be the fifth time in the last six years the Rangers have had a winning record vs. Seattle.
BY THE NUMBERS: 99 -- Unearned runs allowed by the Rangers with 20 games remaining. It's now the highest total of unearned runs allowed by the club since 1987 when the team allowed 106. The club record is 107 (1973).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There were a lot of people waiting to say 'I told you so about Milton Bradley,' after I got hurt. I turned all that into a positive. I think I've played better coming off knee surgery than anybody would have expected." -- DH Milton Bradley, on his season. Bradley leads the AL in on-base percentage and is second in the batting race to Boston's Dustin Pedroia.
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