Robinson Chirinos still views himself as an every day catcher. Mentally, he says, he arrives at the ballpark each day expecting to start.
But most days, he knows he won’t be in the Texas Rangers’ lineup. Jonathan Lucroy, who the Rangers acquired via trade last August, is the club’s starting catcher.
But don’t call Chirinos a backup. Just about everyone around the team bristles at that designation.
That mental approach, Chirinos said, has helped him stay engaged without regular at-bats. He was behind the plate Saturday night in the Rangers’ win over the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park.