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Rick Ankiel | Outfielder

Team: New York Mets
Age / DOB:  (33) / 7/19/1979
Ht / Wt:  6'1' / 208
Bats / Throws: Left / Left
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Latest News

Recent News

Rick Ankiel went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Saturday against the Cubs.
Ankiel is 6-for-20 (.300) with two homers, four RBI and six strikeouts since joining the Mets earlier this week. The 33-year-old is not going to hit for a high batting average, but he has enough pop to be useful in NL-only leagues as long as he gets regular at-bats in center field. May 18 - 4:06 PM

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Date:

Rick Ankiel went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI but the Mets fell to the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Ankiel singled in the top of the second inning and then hit a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the seventh. But the Mets wound up losing their third straight game in St. Louis. Ankiel is 2-for-8 since joining New York.
May 15 - 11:30 PM

Mets manager Terry Collins said Monday that Rick Ankiel and Juan Lagares will platoon in center field.

Ankiel will start against right-handed pitchers while Lagares will play against southpaws. We're not expecting much in the way of batting average, but Ankiel could provide enough pop to hold some value in NL-only formats. This arrangement could cut into at-bats for Jordany Valdespin, though Collins has talked about using him at second base if Daniel Murphy continues to struggle.
May 13 - 4:30 PM

Mets signed OF Rick Ankiel to a one-year contract.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman was the first to report that the two sides were talking. Ankiel batted just .194 with 35 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances before getting released last week by the Astros, but he has some power and a big arm. The 33-year-old should see semi-regular playing time in a New York outfield that lacks talent. He's starting in center field Monday night against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
May 13 - 3:52 PM

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Mets are "in talks on a deal" with outfielder Rick Ankiel.

Ankiel was released by the Astros last week after batting .194 with a .231 on-base percentage and 35 strikeouts over 65 plate appearances. He did hit five homers, and could add some needed pop to the Mets' roster.
Source: CBS Sports
May 13 - 3:17 PM

Astros released OF Rick Ankiel.

Ankiel cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. While the 33-year-old had five homers, he was hitting just .194/.231/.484 with an ugly 35/3 K/BB ratio. It's telling that the worst team in baseball didn't have use for him anymore, so he could struggle to find another opportunity with an MLB club.
May 9 - 4:44 PM

Astros designated OF Rick Ankiel for assignment.

Ankiel has banged out five home runs this season, but he's hit an ugly .194/.231/.484 overall and has a 3/35 BB/K ratio. He'll be able to catch on elsewhere, but he might have to work his way up through the minors first. The Astros also designated Fernando Martinez for assignment Monday.
May 6 - 6:19 PM

Rick Ankiel hit his fifth home run of the season Monday against the Mariners.

Ankiel accounted for all of the Astros' offense on the night, as he took Carter Capps deep for a solo shot in the seventh. The veteran outfielder is hitting just .237 with an ugly 24/0 K/BB ratio, but five of his nine hits have been home runs. He also holds a .921 OPS. Keep running him out there in AL-only leagues, though the rebuilding Astros could change course at any time.
Apr 22 - 11:30 PM

Rick Ankiel belted his fourth homer of the season, helping to power the Astros to a 3-2 victory over the Indians on Friday.

The homer came as part of back-to-back shots with J.D. Martinez off Brett Myers in the second inning. After his 1-for-3 night, Ankiel has the unusual .194/.194/.613 line on the season. He has just six hits, with four of them being home runs, and a double as well. He’s now driven in 10 runs on the season, and could be worth a look in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues as a cheap source of power.
Apr 19 - 11:20 PM

Rick Ankiel delivered his second pinch-hit homer of the season Wednesday in the ninth inning against the A's.

Ankiel took Grant Balfour deep for his third homer in 28 at-bats this season. Unfortunately, he has just two other hits along with the homers and a crazy 20/0 K/BB ratio. It'll be interesting to see how long he lasts in Houston.
Apr 17 - 7:05 PM

Pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel delivered a three-run homer off Derek Lowe in the bottom of the sixth as the Astros beat the Rangers 8-2 on Sunday.

Astros manager Bo Porter has said Ankiel is his regular right fielder, but he still had him on the bench against a lefty tonight. No matter, Ankiel delivered his first ever Opening Day hit after replacing Brandon Barnes in the sixth, and it left the yard for the first home run of the 2013 season. Lowe had just replaced Matt Harrison in the game, as Ron Washington for some reason bypassed all of his better righties. Ankiel will definitely be in the lineup for the final two games of the series.
Mar 31 - 11:19 PM

Astros purchased the contract of OF Rick Ankiel from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Ankiel has earned the right field job for the 'Stros by batting .413/.463/.826 with four homers this spring. He's no safe bet to start there against righties all season, but it's possible he'll have AL-only value.
Mar 31 - 2:29 PM

Rick Ankiel homered, doubled and drove in four runs in the Astros' 11-4 rout of the Tigers on Thursday.

Ankiel has won the Astros' right field job with a .432 average and four homers in 45 at-bats this spring. It's highly unlikely that he'll hit for average in the regular season, but he might surprise with decent power numbers. Of course, that would require staying healthy, something that's always been a problem for him.
Mar 28 - 4:42 PM

Rick Ankiel came off the bench to supply the Astros' only two hits -- a double and a homer -- Saturday against the Braves.

Ankiel doubled off Jordan Walden and then homered off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. The rest of the Astros combined to go 0-for-27. Ankiel appears likely to open the season as Houston's right fielder against right-handers.
Mar 23 - 5:38 PM

Rick Ankiel went 2-for-2 with a home run Thursday as the Astros topped a Yankees split-squad 7-6.

Ankiel is 6-for-9 with three extra-base hits as he attempts to win a spot in Houston's outfield. He'll likely be a starter in center or right if he can remain hot all spring. As is, Justin Maxwell is the only Astros outfielder who can be safely penciled into the lineup.
Feb 28 - 5:52 PM

Depth Charts

Batters
PosRoleName
C1John Buck
2Anthony Recker
1B1Ike Davis
2B1Daniel Murphy
2Justin Turner
SS1Ruben Tejada
3B1David Wright
LF1Lucas Duda
CF1Rick Ankiel
2Juan Lagares
3Jordany Valdespin
RF1Marlon Byrd
2Mike Baxter
Starting Pitcher
PosRoleName
S1Jon Niese
2Matt Harvey
3Shaun Marcum
4Dillon Gee
5Jeremy Hefner
6Jenrry Mejia
7Johan Santana
Relief Pitcher
PosRoleName
R1Bobby Parnell
2Frank Francisco
3Brandon Lyon
4Scott Atchison
5LaTroy Hawkins
6Jeurys Familia
7Scott Rice
8Robert Carson
9Greg Burke
10Collin McHugh