Rangerfans.com

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) — Texas Rangers center fielder Ruben Mateo, one of the top prospects in baseball, is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks with a broken hamate bone in his left wrist.
Mateo returned to the 15-day disabled list today after suffering the injury while batting in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins.
The Rangers plan to activate outfielder Tom Goodwin from the disabled list Friday to replace Mateo on the roster.
Preliminary X-rays on Mateo were negative but he was diagnosed with a fracture after an exam by hand specialist Dr. Bobby Wroten. Mateo will undergo surgery Friday to remove the broken bone.
Mateo, 21, homered in his major league debut June 12 against Colorado and is batting .238 with five homers and 18 RBI in 32 games. He was on the disabled list from June 23 to July 9 with a pulled left groin.
At the time of his recall, Mateo was one of the top players in the Triple-A 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 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.
Goodwin appeared in just one game after straining his left hip flexor muscle June 11. He was disabled from June 12-26, played on June 27, and went back on the DL the following day.
He is batting .241 with one homer, 12 RBI and 27 stolen bases in 56 games. He is tied for second in the American League in steals.

The Texas Rangers announced today that the club will undertake a new Hispanic marketing and community initiative through several different programs.
The first effort is the introduction of a new logo designed specially for the Hispanic market. The logo, which was unveiled at a press conference today at The Ballpark in Arlington, uses the Rangers’ existing secondary logo with the phrase, “Beisbol a lo grande”, meaning Major League Baseball. The red and blue logo will be used in a number of the team’s marketing programs over the next several months.
The inaugural program, which involves the Rangers, Coors Brewing Company, and the Lena Pope Home, was also announced today. Coors, a corporate partner of the Rangers, will utilize the logo to support its 21 Means 21 responsibility message underscored in the company’s national programs and advertising. Together with its local distributors, Coors encourages the responsible and legal consumption of malt beverage products.
Texas Rangers first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and the Rangers Hispanic logo will be featured on Coors point-of-sale materials that emphasize the 21 Means 21 responsible consumption message. These materials include posters, counter cards, mini stand-ups and will be used primarily in retail outlets with a strong Hispanic customer base in markets throughout Texas. The new program is expected to debut this month.
As part of this program, Coors will make a contribution to Palmeiro’s designated charity, the Lena Pope Home of Fort Worth. The Home provides services to meet the behavioral health care needs of more than 5,000 children and their families each year.
“We are proud to assist Rafael Palmeiro in his support of local youth and their families,” commented Coors Field Marketing Directing Randy Porter. “His efforts assisting the Lena Pope Home builds awareness and much-needed funds for behavioral health care services in Tarrant County.”
For more than 15 years, Coors has run television commercials promoting the responsible consumption of its products. The company first launched its 21 Means 21 campaign a year ago. Coors was instrumental in the idea of creating a specific Rangers’ logo for use in the Hispanic Community.
“The Texas Rangers are committed to being a part of the Hispanic community in Texas,” said club President Jim Lites. “We are very appreciative of our corporate partner, the Coors Brewing Company for their efforts in helping us achieve this goal. We are also very fortunate to have players such as Rafael Palmeiro, who give their time and energy back to the community.”
In addition, the Rangers announced that the club will hold its first Hispanic Night on Friday, September 17, when Texas plays the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at 7:35 p.m. On that night, the Rangers plan to honor the Hispanic players on both teams during a pre-game ceremony. One of the new inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Orlando Cepeda will be the guest of honor and will take part in the ceremonies. The club also plans to offer half price purchase of $14.00, $12.00, $10.00, and $7.00 tickets for that night’s game. Hispanic Night will be co-sponsored by KESS Radio, the Rangers’ Spanish flagship radio station, and Carnival Food Stores. Coupons for the discount tickets will be available at Carnival. The Rangers are currently finalizing the details for Hispanic Night and more information will be announced in the near future.