The Texas Rangers are in a fairly desperate position as they fight the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. As the two teams start their final series of the regular season, they are in a tie for first place with 79-80 records.

The Rangers are facing the Minnesota Twins on the road in their series, while the Astros are in Sacramento to take on the Athletics. The Rangers position is more desperate for two reasons. The Twins are a tougher and more talented opponent than the Athletics. Additionally, the Astros won the season series by a 9-4 margin over the Rangers. That means Houston would get the nod to play postseason baseball if the two teams finished tied for the top spot.

While the Astros would appear to have the advantage, Rangers slugger Joc Pederson is working to get back into his team’s lineup if the Rangers finish the season with a better record than the Astros. Pederson suffered a broken hand Sept. 12 when he was hit by a pitch thrown by Brandon Pfaadt of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Pederson is scheduled to take live batting practice against pitcher Jack Leiter prior to the Rangers’ Saturday game in Minnesota. If he has a positive session and does not feel pain or discomfort, there is an excellent chance he could return to the Rangers lineup at the start of the American League playoffs.

Pederson is in his second season with the Rangers. He is slashing .235/.329/.487 with 26 home runs and 53 runs batted in. Pederson is normally the team’s designated hitter when he is in the lineup. He is second on the team to Jake Burger in home runs. Burger has 27 home runs and 89 RBI.