Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

The 24-year-old landed on the injured list in late April with a forearm flexor strain. Since then, the Rangers have recorded an underwhelming 14-20 record.

Last season, Langford posted 22 home runs, 62 RBIs and 22 steals in 134 games, while providing quality defense in the outfield.

In 20 games this season, he had one home run, four RBIs, three steals and a .238 batting average.

Rangers All-Star shortstop Corey Seager (back) is taking ground balls and had a live BP session scheduled for Saturday. Seager has been out since May 14.

–Field Level Media

The defending-champion Las Vegas Aces find themselves looking up in the standings at the second-year Golden State Valkyries as the clubs prepare to meet Sunday afternoon in San Francisco.

The Aces (4-3) have lost two in a row, including 95-87 at Dallas on Thursday night to tip off a three-game trip.

Meanwhile, the Valkyries (5-2) won their second straight Thursday, edging the Indiana Fever 90-88 in the second of four consecutive home games.

Playing for just the eighth time as an expansion franchise, Golden State surprised the Aces 95-68 as part of the Commissioner’s Cup last June. Las Vegas then exacted three measures of revenge before season’s end, including 78-72 in a return visit to San Francisco in August.

This time around, the matchup features the league’s stingiest defense (Golden State) against a team that has shot the fewest free throws in the WNBA this season (Las Vegas).

Aces coach Becky Hammon would love to see the latter change immediately, which she made clear after her club got to the foul line just 12 times (compared to Dallas’ 22) in Thursday’s loss.

“A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw. Chennedy Carter, zero; Jackie Young, zero,” Hammon cited off the stat sheet at her postgame press conference. “I’m (very) tired of that (occurrence). I’m not saying they didn’t earn their 22. But when Awak Kuier shoots more free throws than A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young and Chennedy Carter all combined, that’s a problem.”

“We’re not getting the same whistle.”

The Valkyries, on the other hand, have built up the second-highest point differential in the league at plus-8.4 per game, trailing only the Minnesota Lynx (plus-9.2). In Thursday’s game, their success at the line made a big difference.

Veronica Burton (10-for-12) and Gabby Williams (7-for-10) combined for 22 free throw attempts alone in the win over the Fever. Golden State got seven more foul shots than Indiana in the two-point win.

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase believes the nightly sellout her club attracts at Chase Center helps in many ways.

“It’s great that everyone comes, whether it’s Indiana or Vegas coming up,” she noted to reporters Thursday. “I want it loud; I want the boos and the cheers and ups and the downs. We want all 14 (visiting teams) to be rivals. It’s good for the game.”

–Field Level Media

Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi hit home runs, as the host Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-1 Saturday.

White Sox starter Anthony Kay (5-1) gave up one run and six hits in five innings. The southpaw walked one and struck out three in 84 pitches.

The White Sox go for the sweep Sunday. The Tigers have lost three straight and have only won six games in May.

Framber Valdez (2-4) gave up four runs and six hits in six-plus innings. The southpaw walked two and struck out four in 89 pitches.

After giving up two runs in the first, Valdez only allowed two base runners until the seventh, when the White Sox broke the game open.

Quero led off with a home run for the first run, and Benintendi followed with a double.

Valdez recorded two outs, but Rikuu Nishida grounded a single to right to score Benintendi and give Chicago a three-run lead.

Montgomery hit a solo shot and Benintendi a two-run blast in the eighth for more insurance.

The White Sox jumped out 2-0 right away.

Chase Meidroth led off the game with a double and went third when Valdez walked Miguel Vargas and Montgomery back-to-back.

Meidroth scored on a wild pitch with Randal Grichuk at bat.

Grichuk lined out to third, but Vargas scored to make it 2-0 on a Quero sacrifice fly to center.

Wenceel Perez brought the Tigers back within one with a leadoff home run in the third.

The Tigers had a scoring chance in the fourth, when Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson had back-to-back one-out singles. Jahmai Jones grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat, however.

Detroit had another threat in the sixth when Matt Vierling led off with a single and Greene reached when Grichuk dropped his fly ball in right. Vierling was initially called out at second, but the call was overturned.

Grant Taylor came on with two on and none out. The right-hander struck out Torkelson, induced Jones to fly out to center and forced Perez to ground out to second to end the threat.

–Field Level Media