:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26628941/20130928_jla_ac6_147.0.jpg)
Rangers beat reporter T.R. Sullivan reports that Rangers young starter Derek Holland tore cartilage in his left knee in a fall at home and will be out till midseason.
Derek Holland had knee surgery.....out until mid season
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) January 10, 2014
Here is more on the injury from Sullivan, via Twitter:
Cartilage damage....no ligaments....rangers will add depth...Daniels said Rangers don't expect to add front lune starter thru free agency
— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) January 10, 2014
Holland's injury leaves a hold in the Rangers rotation, leading some to speculate that they could be players for free agent starter Masahiro Tanaka. Sullivan reports that it is doubtful that the Rangers would be players for Tanaka, but things could change between now and January 24th, the deadline for teams to sign Tanaka,
The Rangers rotation as it appears now includes ace Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Alexi Ogando, and two of Colby Lewis, Nick Tepesch, Robbie Ross or Matt Harrison. Harrison missed most of the 2013 season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.
Holland is coming off a solid 2013 season where he went 10-9 with a 3.42 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.28 WHIP and a 189-64 K-BB rate in a career high 213 innings last season. He lowered his ERA by more than a run, thanks to an increased strikeout rate and a huge drop in his HR/9 rate from 1.64 HR/9 to a more desirable 0.85 HR/9.
I had Holland ranked as my #45 ranked starting pitcher in my Top 100 Starting Pitcher rankings for 2014, so that will certainly change during out consensus rankings series that begins the week of January 20th. Fellow Fake Teams writer Brian Creagh was more optimistic than I was on Holland as he had him as his 30th ranked starter in his Initial Top 100 Starting Pitcher rankings published on Monday.
It will be interesting to see what the Rangers do to replace Holland, as there are several options available on the free agent market right now, including the previously mentioned Tanaka, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana, Bronson Arroyo and Chris Capuano. I could see the Rangers going the cheap route and signing Capuano to replace Holland. In addition, they have the previously mentioned internal options as well.
For more on Holland the the Rangers options to replace him, make sure you check out Lone Star Ball, SB Nation's Rangers fan site.
