Five things we learned Wednesday: Rangers hurting in a few ways

2:24 AM ET

There was a lot of stuff on this night. Jedd Gyorko homered three times as the Cardinals swept the Padres in a doubleheader. Hanley Ramirez hit three homers in one game for the first time in his career. Tim Beckham of the Rays went 5-for-5 and didn’t make our top five. Then there’s Kelsie Whitmore of the Sonoma Stompers, who collected her first professional hit Wednesday.

1. Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo head to the disabled list. It was a tough day for the Texas Rangers, but the serious injury here is the herniated disk in Fielder’s neck, which might explain why his numbers have been so poor this season. He reportedly just told the Rangers about the problem. This injury is likely related to the neck surgery he underwent in 2014, though that initial fusion remains intact. He’ll seek another opinion before determining what course of action to take, but if a second neck surgery is needed, you have to wonder what his future holds. Choo has lower back inflammation and will rest for 10 to 14 days.

Shin-Soo Choo, right, might be out only two weeks to rest his troublesome back, but Prince Fielder could be facing surgery and a longer absence over neck issues. Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports

The immediate effect is to open up a regular spot for Jurickson Profar, and that will be an upgrade over what Fielder was providing. Profar played second base Wednesday, with Rougned Odor serving as designated hitter. It will be interesting to see if manager Jeff Banister sticks with that construction because Profar is the better defensive player.

It also means Joey Gallo will remain in Triple-A instead of getting first crack at the DH role. In Choo’s absence, Delino DeShields Jr. was recalled, though Ryan Rua and Nomar Mazara will likely play in the corners with DeShields coming off the bench. Although the injuries aren’t a major blow, assuming Choo is back in two weeks, they do temporarily hurt the Rangers’ depth.

The bigger problem for the Rangers continues to be their rotation. The Angels just completed a series sweep while scoring 19 runs off the Texas starters in three games.

Anyone who watched Prince Fielder in 2014 and again this season had to suspect a health issue. At-bats very similar.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) July 20, 2016

2. White Sox … white flag? Two nights after blowing a …

continue reading in source espn.go.com