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Friday, March 29, 2024

Naperville North alum Nick Solak Prepares for shortened MLB Season with Texas Rangers

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The 33 games Nick Solak played for the Texas Rangers to close out the 2019 season gave him a small glimpse into big-league life.

Now after MLB Commissioner’s Rob Manfred mandate of a 60-game season, the former Naperville North and Louisville product is raring to go.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve played,” Solak said. “I’m really excited that we’re planning on playing again and then we get to play again and compete. I’ve been in Dallas for the last couple months working out in small groups, just staying ready.

“To finally hear that an agreement is in place and that the health and safety protocols have been agreed to and think that they can limit the risks – it’s an exciting time for players, coaching staffs, fans to have baseball back.”

In 116 at-bats, he hit .293 with five home runs and 17 RBI after the Rangers called him up Aug. 20, 2019.

He recorded 10 multi-hit games and had a stretch of four straight games with at least two hits in early September.

That four-game stretch began with a three-hit game in the Rangers’ 10-4 win at Baltimore on Sept. 8, 2019.

“I played well during those six weeks and I’m looking forward to building off that this season,” Solak said. “I swung the bat really well and want to continue to swing the bat really well.”

When the remainder of spring training was canceled March 12 because of COVID-19, Solak was seeing action at several different spots in the field.

Whereas he played 16 times either at second base or third base in 2019, he saw significant time in the outfield this spring.

Solak was playing in center field for the most part before shifting to left field to take over for an injured Willie Calhoun prior to the COVID shutdown.

“Wherever I’m at in the field – whether it’s the infield or the outfield – I’ve got pretty much every single glove, other than a catcher’s glove, in my bag now,” Solak said.

A middle infielder with Naperville North (2011-13), versatility was ingrained in Solak during his time at Louisville (2014-16) – where he played all over the field.

With the 60-game sprint commencing on either July 23 or July 24, readiness is paramount.
If fortunate enough to start the season on Texas’ 30-man roster, Solak’s antenna will be up.

“There’s going to be a lot of managing that goes on, there’s going to be some moving parts,” he said. “To have the flexibility to play multiple positions, I think that will help get into the lineup and help the team win.”

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Blake Baumgartner
Blake Baumgartner
Raised in Naperville, Blake Baumgartner is a 2001 Naperville Central alumnus and a 2005 graduate of Michigan State's School of Journalism. Since March 2010, he has covered football, boys' basketball and baseball for both The Naperville Sun and Positively Naperville. Follow him on Twitter @BFBaumgartner.

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