ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) — Texas Rangers outfielder Ruben Mateo, one of the top young prospects in baseball, was placed on the 15-day disabled list tonight with a pulled left groin muscle.
Mateo left Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to Oakland after eight innings with tightness in his groin. He was replaced on the roster by outfielder Scarborough Green, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma.
Mateo, 21, homered in his major league debut on June 12 against Colorado. He is batting only .182 with one home run and three RBI in 10 games, striking out 10 times in 33 at-bats.
Mateo was summoned from Oklahoma after the Rangers placed outfielder Tom Goodwin on the 15-day DL for the first time in his career.
At the time of his recall, Mateo was one of the top players in the Pacific Coast League with a .340 batting average, 17 homers, 58 RBI, 81 hits and 50 runs scored. Used as a center fielder and designated hitter, he was batting .434 (23-for-53) during a current 13-game hitting streak for Oklahoma.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 1994, Mateo was among the last players cut by Texas during spring training. The native of the Dominican Republic hit .283 with four homers and 11 RBI in 24 exhibition games.
Green, who turned 25 two weeks ago, was hitting .222 at Oklahoma with one homer, 12 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 60 games.