Things are trending in the right direction with Jonah Heim, and things are improving quickly.
The Texas Rangers’ catcher has been on the shelf with a wrist injury since July 27. He started to make some steps in a positive direction over the weekend, playing catch Saturday.
But things are improving to the point that a return for Heim might not be that far off in the distance. The Rangers are in the Bay Area this week as they play the A’s and Giants, but Bruce Bochy said in his weekly appearance on The K&C Masterpiece that Heim might be ready to go shortly after they return home.
“I’ll tell you, it’s encouraging with Jonah, it really is,” Bochy said. “He caught Montgomery’s (bullpen), he’s swinging the bat, jeez, I mean he's letting it go too. I don't know what the timetable is, but it's been really accelerated to the point where I’m not going to be surprised once we get home if he’s not knocking on the door as far as getting some playing time or getting back in there.”
Heim is a switch-hitter, and it has been expected that the injury might prevent him from doing that upon his return. For now, that is shaping up to be the case.
“From the right side he hasn't swung the bat, but the left side he’s had no issues,” Bochy said. “He’s had no issues receiving the ball, meanwhile he’s doing all his running and everything to make sure once he can go he’s ready to go.”
The injury, a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, could require surgery in the offseason. Mitch Garver has handled the majority of the catching duties since Heim went down.
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