To the guys out in left field wearing the cowboy hats…

What are the Rangers going to do with Hank Blalock this season?

Will he be the DH? Will he be traded? Will he go back on the DL?

Will this be the final goodbye to the infamous Hank’s Homies gang?

I hope that’s not the case. Hank is one of my favorite Rangers. He was supposed to be our future at third base. Unfortunately, things didn’t workout that way.

Poor Hank has had a terrible string of bad luck the last couple of years. It has been one injury after another, derailing the one-time All-Star hero’s career as the Rangers’ third baseman. And with the ascension of Elvis Andrus to shortstop,  the shuffling of Michael Young to third base and the emergence of Chris Davis at first, there just isn’t room for Hank Blalock on this team.

Hank fills the same role role as Frank Catalanotto – an overpaid left-handed bat that can DH against right-handers, pinch-hit, and fill in at first base (and OF for Cat) if necessary. I would have given the edge to Hank before today’s game (where Hank played 3rd, made an error, and left the game with a head injury after falling into the visitors’ dugout attempting to catch a pop-up), but now I’m not so sure. Hank’s upside was that he could spell Michael Young at third every now and then. I was worried about Hank not being able to make the throw across the infield. Now it appears he is having trouble fielding the ball as well.

With German Duran’s assignment to Oklahoma City and the lack of confidence Ron Washington has shown in Omar Vizquel or Joaquin Arias at third, that leaves Chris Davis as the backup third baseman if Hank can’t handle the job.

Hopefully, Hank was just having a bad day. Maybe his play at third today was just a fluke, and maybe he will stay healthy all season and be productive in the DH role.

But what if doesn’t turn out that way?

What if Justin Smoak devours minor league pitching the same way he dominated the major leaguers he faced this spring?

What if Max Ramirez or Brandon Boggs plays their way onto the active roster?

What happens to Hank’s Homies then?