Tagebücher unser Lieblinge » Rangers recalled opening day starting

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Not one, not two, not three. The Texas Rangers now have four catchers on their 25-man roster. The Rangers recalled opening day starting catcher J.P. Arencibia from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, the same day they made the expected move of activating catcher Geovany Soto from the 60-day disabled list. Struggling first baseman Carlos Pena was designated for assignment after playing only 18 games in his return to the Rangers. Soto and Arencibia joined the team for a workout in Toronto, along with catchers Robinson Chirinos and Chris Gimenez. Texas (38-57), with the worst record in the majors, plays the Blue Jays on Friday in its first game after the All-Star break. Arencibia was optioned to Round Rock on May 20 after hitting .133 in 20 games with the Rangers, 19 of them starts at catcher. He hit .279 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in 48 games at Round Rock, where he started 20 games at first base while playing the position professionally for the first time. Eight of his last 11 starts at Triple-A were at first base. Pena hit .136 and two RBIs in 18 games for Texas, including 16 starts at first base, after being purchased from Round Rock on June 24. Texas has 10 days to trade, release or outright Pena to the minor leagues. He had rejoined the Rangers on June 24, a week after signing a minor league deal -- and 13 years after making his major league debut with Texas. He was the 10th overall pick in 1998. Soto tore cartilage in his right knee late in spring training and is looking to make his season debut with the Rangers after 12 games of rehab the past two weeks with Round Rock and Double-A Frisco. In 54 games last season for the Rangers, primarily as the backup to A.J. Pierzynski, Soto hit .245 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in 54 games. Soto was expected to be the primary catcher this season before getting hurt in the spring. The Rangers traded right-handed reliever Jason Frasor on Wednesday, so only the Pena move was necessary Thursday to bring back two catchers. Cheap Jerseys Fast Shipping . It was the start of one nice night for the goalie and the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom made 33 saves in his first win of the season and the Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Saturday in a rematch of their first-round playoff series. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Fans holding laudatory signs started showing up at Yankee Stadium when the gates opened at 4 p.m. Monday, an hour early in order to give them a chance to watch the New York captain take batting practice.When Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson last week compared his new playmaker Pedro Morales to Major League Soccer standouts Diego Valeri and Federico Higuain, he was setting a very high standard for the clubs new Designated Player. On Saturday, in just 25 minutes of action as a second half substitute, the Chilean midfielder showed exactly why his new manager has such high hopes. On a day when almost everything went right for Vancouver, Morales short but extremely influential performance capped a wonderful afternoon for the Whitecaps as they opened the 2014 season with a 4-1 win against the New York Red Bulls at BC Place. Robinson was quick to dampen expectations for his new look team following the victory, but the rookie head coach couldnt have asked for a better start to his managerial career as his side showed the attacking qualities he wants to be the trademark of his club. "Well be free-spirited and exciting," Robinson said in the buildup to the season opener. "I want players who can lift me to my feet." On Saturday, he certainly got that, as the Whitecaps turned on the style in the second half. Of course its far too early to draw any conclusion about how Vancouver will fare this season based on one result against a New York side that looked poor, but the initial signs are extremely encouraging. Morales started the match on the bench after a hectic travel schedule and only a couple of training sessions with his new team, but it didnt take long for the Whitecaps fans to get a glimpse of the fantastic technical ability their new signing possesses. There were a few fancy touches as well as a superb through ball for Kenny Millers second goal of the game, and then Morales scored himself in the closing stages to complete the rout. It was an impressive debut. It wasnt just Morales. There were quality performances throughout the team. Young Uruguayan Sebastian Fernandez played on the left side of the three attacking midfielders in the Whitecaps 4-2-3-1 formation and was influential throughout. He took his goal beautifully and was a creative spark, but he also worked very hard defensively. Darren Mattocks had one of his best games as a Whitecap.ddddddddddddHe didnt score, but the Jamaican international finally showed he is capable of playing the lone striker role. He has a point to prove after a disappointing 2013 season, but if his attitude is right, he has all the qualities needed to be a success. Veteran forward Kenny Miller scored twice, the second a lovely chip over the goalkeeper. Like Mattocks, Miller is playing for his future in Vancouver. The Scottish striker wants to stay with the club when his current contract expires this summer. While he wont grab the headlines for his goal-scoring performances, one of the biggest off-season upgrades for the Whitecaps has been the signing of Designated Player Matias Laba from Toronto FC. Described by Robinson as "a destroyer," the young Argentine was superb in breaking up play, protecting the back four and starting moves with excellent vision and distribution. Hes a player who will make the jobs of those around him much easier. Central defenders Jay DeMerit and Andy OBrien will benefit greatly from Labas presence, as will his midfield partner Nigel Reo-Coker who will now be able to get forward more. We saw near the end of the game what Reo-Coker is capable of when he has license to attack, assisting on the goal scored by Morales. Another big strength for the Whitecaps this season will be the depth within the squad. Along with Morales, Saturdays substitutes included attacking options Kekuta Manneh, Erik Hurtado and Nicolas Mezquida, midfielder Gershon Koffie and Honduran international defender Johnny Leveron. "Its important to start off on the right foot," said Robinson. "Its important that I keep pushing them to those standards. We did well, but there are still 33 more games to go." Now as the Whitecaps begin preparing for their first road game of the new season at Chivas USA in California next weekend, Robinson has some interesting decisions ahead. He will want to get Morales into the starting lineup as soon as possible, but after Saturdays performance, it will be difficult to leave anyone out. Vancouver Whitecaps at Chivas USA on Sunday, March 16 is live on CTV BC 2. Kickoff is 4pm PT. ' ' '