As the Texas Rangers cling to their playoff hopes by the skin of their teeth, the team got some bad news on Tuesday when manager Bruce Bochy had to scratch Josh Smith from the lineup.

Smith is dealing with an infected elbow, according to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry.

He was in the lineup batting third and playing shortstop for the Rangers in their series opener against the Minnesota Twins. Ezequiel Duran replaces Smith at short and will bat ninth, while first baseman Alejandro Osuna will now bat third.

Bochy added that he considers Smith to be day-to-day and he is on medication to treat the infection. No further information is available at this time, so it is still unknown if this ailment will keep him out deeper into the week. Article Continues Below

The utility man is in his fourth

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