From Joe: I thought Gregg Zaun was the expected regular backup to pudge?
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA (TICKER) — John Marzano, expected to serve as the backup to Texas Rangers All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez this season, suffered a broken left hand today and will be lost for up to six weeks.
Marzano, who signed a minor-league contract in January, was hit on the hand by a pitch from Boston Red Sox reliever Brad Clontz in the seventh inning of this afternoon’s 7-5 victory. X-rays revealed a break of the third and fourth metacarpal bones in the hand.
Marzano, 35, had his hand placed in a splint and will have his X-rays re-evaluated by specialist Dr. Bobby Wroten later this week.
In six games this spring, Marzano was 0-for-6 with an RBI.
He spent the last three years as a reserve with the Seattle Mariners, batting .233 with four homers and 12 RBI in 50 games last season. Marzano had a .997 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 342 chances, while starting 40 games behind the plate.
In a 10-year career with the Mariners, Rangers and Boston Red Sox, Marzano owns a .241 average with 11 homers and 72 RBI in 301 games. He was out of the majors for two seasons after undergoing elbow surgery on May 3, 1993.
Marzano spent 1995 in the Texas organization, hitting .309 in 120 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City before going 2-for-6 in two games with the Rangers late in the season.
Bill Haselman served as the backup to Rodriguez last season, hitting .314 with six homers and 17 RBI in 40 games. But he signed with the Detroit Tigers during the offseason.