Outlook Ezequiel Duran
Ezequiel Duran finds regular playing time at shortstop, but a recent cold stretch limits his immediate fantasy appeal.
With Corey Seager sidelined due to a concussion, Duran has stepped in as the primary shortstop for the third-place Rangers, who are looking to snap a two-game slide. However, Duran has struggled at the plate recently, batting just .143 with nine strikeouts over his last seven days. This cold streak dampens the excitement of his temporary everyday role.
While Duran's recent slump is discouraging, his overall performance remains solid with a .282 average across 64 games, which is well above our rest-of-season projection of .241. Expect his bat to bounce back toward his career baseline, but his lack of walk rate progression limits his long-term on-base ceiling.
Texas finishes the week with four games, starting against Minnesota ace Joe Ryan before facing a San Diego rotation featuring vulnerable arms like Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito. Despite the favorable weekend matchups, Duran's current slump and high strikeout rate make him a risky option. For this week, the smart move is to Sit him until his timing returns.
Updated 3 days ago
