When the Texas Rangers decided to trade second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for slugger Prince Fielder, they envisioned Fielder as the cornerstone of their lineup for years to come. It wasn’t an unrealistic vision, as the first baseman was a lifetime .285 hitter and had hit 288 home runs in his nine seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tigers.

Durability wasn’t in question when the Rangers inherited his $214 million dollar contract Fielder signed in 2011. He had played 157 or more games in each of his full seasons in the major leagues and was the active leader in consecutive games played. Quite simply, Fielder was one of the most durable players in the entire league.

So when he was ruled out for most of the season after deciding to go through with surgery for a herniated disk in his neck, the Rangers lost a huge part of their lineup. Fielder reached 20 home runs and 80 RBIs in each of the last eight seasons, and the Rangers don’t have an immediate replacement for those numbers.

In a division that features the Los Angeles Angels and the star-studded combo of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, the Rangers need production quickly. Trout and Pujols have combined for 23 home runs and 64 RBIs so far this season to lead the 28-21 Angels.

The Oakland Athletics, usually regarded for their pitching, have two players who have hit 10 home runs already (Brandon Moss and Josh Donaldson), putting them fifth in the AL in home runs. Add in their 2.90 team ERA, which ranks second in the MLB, and the Athletics will be tough to beat, with or without Fielder.

The pressure now falls onto the Rangers offense- led by Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo and the surprising Alex Rios-and the pitching staff that ranks 26th in the league in ERA.

Each of the three offensive leaders is batting .297 of better, which is where they will likely need to be to keep the offense thriving. However, the pitching will get tougher with Fielder out of the lineup and one less power hitter to navigate around.

This brings more emphasis of the Rangers’ role players, like Mitch Moreland and Leonys Martin. If Moreland and Martin can step up at the plate, and youngster Rougned Odor shows he can be the player the Rangers want him to be, the hole in the lineup won’t seem so big.

However, the pitching needs to improve as soon as it can. With a drop in offensive production, the However, the pitching needs to improve as soon as it can. With a drop in offensive production, the 4.37 team ERA will carry a bigger impact.

The Athletics rank second in the league in ERA, while the Angels stand 12th and the Seattle Mariners, who sit only .5 games behind the Rangers as of Monday, are 10th in ERA. The AL West, with the exception of the Houston Astros, in a quality pitching division and the Rangers are losing due to their rotation.

While Fielder sits out the season, the Rangers have many questions to answer. Not to mention, the team is already dealing with injuries to Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Martin Perez, Jurickson Profar and Joe Saunders. It is a tough position to be in, and the Rangers are certainly not used to being in it.