ARLINGTON -- Rookie Carlos Tocci played in more Cactus League games than any other Ranger this spring, but he was not supposed to be a regular in the regular season, at least not this soon.
After Delino DeShields suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand Friday night, the Rangers had to implement their contingency plan at center, using Tocci there in his Major League debut Saturday in a 9-2 loss to the Astros.
As in Spring Training, when he batted .175 (10-for-57) but impressed manager Jeff Banister with his speed and defensive ability, Tocci's main contributions Saturday were in the field.