Isiah Kiner-Falefa is replacing Elvis Andrus as the Texas Rangers’ starting shortstop for the 2021 season, per Evan Grant.
While not completely out of the blue, this is still a pretty major development for the Rangers. The team said late in the 2020 season that neither Elvis Andrus nor Rougned Odor were going to be guaranteed playing time going forward, and Elvis ended the year on the injured list with back issues. Kiner-Falefa was one of the major stories in both spring training and summer camp, forcing his way into the lineup at third base, displacing free agent signee Todd Frazier (who moved to first base) and ultimately winning a Gold Glove at third.