Nicholas Gets His Chance With Rangers

ARLINGTON—Drafted in the sixth round in 2010 as a catcher, Brett Nicholas sure was playing a lot of first base.

He wasn’t the first catcher selected by the Rangers that year. They used one of their two first-round picks on Kellin Deglan, and he received the lion’s share of the playing time.

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Nicholas, a lefthanded hitter from Missouri, understood that and also came to understand that he needed another position to get in the lineup regularly. Catching was always part of his duties and could very well become his main task again.

Maybe it would even get him to the major leagues. Sure enough, it did.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Nicholas made his big league debut on April 11 in Seattle, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored in a Rangers victory. Texas called him up when Robinson Chirinos broke his right arm.

Nicholas wasn’t sure how long his first taste of the majors would last, and initially he didn’t seem to care. His lifelong dream had just become a reality.

“My only job here is to make sure these pitchers don’t skip a beat,” said Nicholas, 27. “I made sure during spring training to build that rapport with each pitcher.”

Sharing duties with Bryan Holaday, Nicholas was behind the plate for wins in three of his first four starts with a 3.19 ERA. He threw out a runner in the first inning of his first start, and he drove in his first run April 19 in the first of three straight wins against the rival Astros.

All the while, Chris Gimenez was recovering from a left leg infection and was expected to head on a rehab assignment in late April. He was a threat to end Nicholas’ time in the majors, but it might not be the last time.

“Whether it’s for one day or one season, it’s a matter of keeping your head down,” Nicholas said. “Keep grinding like you’ve been doing.”

RANGER ROUNDUP

• Double-A Frisco center fielder Lewis Brinson was sidelined for at least a week in late April with instability in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He was batting .267 after 12 games, and he injured himself diving for a flyball.

• Righthander Dillon Tate, the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft, landed on the disabled list April 19 at low Class A Hickory with a strained right hamstring suffered while running sprints. Tate didn’t allow an earned run in his first 11 innings while striking out 16.