Julio Borbon (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Monday with Double-A Frisco.

It's not clear how many at-bats the Rangers want him to get, but he should be back in early June if he doesn't have a setback. Borbon is batting .270/.305/.348 with six steals in 89 at-bats this season.

Julio Borbon ran the bases Friday for the first time since going on the disabled list with a hamstring injury.

Good news. Borbon could potentially go out on a rehab assignment, so he's on track to return in the early part of June. The speedy center fielder was batting .270/.305/.348 with 11 RBI and six stolen bases in eight attempts over his first 98 plate appearances prior to going on the disabled list.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said that Julio Borbon won't test his hamstring until Friday at the earliest.

The Rangers won't send Borbon out on a minor league rehab assignment until he is able to run the bases. He'll need to play a few games in the minors, so he's unlikely to return until the early part of June.

Julio Borbon was diagnosed with a strained left hamstring.

Borbon left Friday's game against the Angels in the top of the seventh inning with the injury. He will undergo an MRI on Saturday in order to determine the severity. His injury comes at a tough time for the Rangers, who also have Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz on the disabled list. Endy Chavez was pulled from tonight's game with Triple-A Round Rock, and is one potential replacement on the roster.

Julio Borbon left Friday's game against the Angels in the top of the seventh inning with an apparent hamstring injury.

It appears that Borbon tweaked something while catching a fly ball off the bat of Hank Conger. He was replaced in center field by Craig Gentry after going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. We'll pass along an update on his status as soon as it is made available by the team.

Julio Borbon was removed for a pinch-hitter after going 2-for-2 with two runs scored on Monday.

He's actually 3-for-3 the last two days, but with the lefty on the mound for the A's, the Rangers sent up Mike Napoli for him in the ninth today. The mini-hot streak has raised Borbon's average from .218 to .259.

Julio Borbon went 0-for-3 and committed an error that led to a run scored Friday in the loss to the A's.

The Rangers might not have a true center fielder other than Borbon, but for all of his speed, Borbon is far from a great center fielder himself. The Rangers need to seriously consider sending him down and going with David Murphy in center and Mitch Moreland in right until Josh Hamilton returns.

Julio Borbon went 0-for-3 and was picked off first base after reaching on a fielder's choice in Tuesday's loss.

He also grounded into a double-play with the go-ahead run on base in the top of the ninth, ending the inning. Borbon is just 4-for-24 with one walk this season. Manager Ron Washington keeps on giving him votes of confidence, but at some point, it's going to be about performance.

Rangers manager Ron Washington is committed to Julio Borbon as his center fielder.

He did leave the door open for David Murphy to get some at-bats against left-handed pitching if Borbon is struggling against them. "Julio is my center fielder, period," Washington said. "Whether he plays against lefties all year depends on him. Last year, when Murphy started playing against lefties, Julio wasn't going good. This is a different story." Borbon is 2-for-7 at the plate so far against both right- and left-handers.

Rangers manager Ron Washington confirmed that Julio Borbon will be the starting center fielder for Opening Day on Friday.

The Rangers haven't been shy about their concerns with Borbon's defense in center field, but keeping him there will give them the best chance to protect the injury-prone Josh Hamilton. If Borbon struggles, look for Hamilton to go back in center and David Murphy to play left field.

Rangers general manager said Julio Borbon will make the Opening Day roster if he is healthy.

Borbon was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a sore left elbow but was expected to return on Sunday. The Rangers are apparently considering keeping eight relievers, which would obviously cost them an additional position player. So long as Borbon is healthy, it doesn't appear as though he'll be the casualty.

Julio Borbon was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a sore left elbow.

Borbon mysteriously was removed from Friday's game before taking an at-bat, and now we know why. The speedy center fielder has had defensive issues this spring that could result in him starting the season at Triple-A. The elbow injury certainly isn't going to help matters.

Julio Borbon was pulled from Friday's game against the Rockies before his first at-bat.

Borbon, who already has five errors this spring, apparently lost a ball in the lights in the first. He's been hitting well, but the Rangers are frustrated with his defensive play and may be considering sending him back to Triple-A. If that happens, then David Murphy would take over as the starting center fielder.

Julio Borbon is away from Rangers' camp Wednesday taking care of a personal matter.

Meanwhile, David Murphy is starting in center field for Wednesday's game. Borbon is expected to return to the lineup Thursday. There's been some speculation that he's losing grip on the starting center field job, but Rangers manager Ron Washington told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com Wednesday that he hasn't changed his mind yet.

Poor defense has put Julio Borbon's roster spot in jeopardy.

"He's been up and down," manager Ron Washington said. "He's been doing a lot of good things, mixed with some things that need to be corrected. The down has only been on the defensive side. He's made some pretty good defensive plays. He just has to be more consistent. We feel like he can play good defense. We hope he straightens it out pretty soon." Josh Hamilton is starting in center field Saturday, and it's looking possible that he could be starting there on Opening Day. Washington also said that David Murphy is in line for more playing time in center, which would allow Hamilton to stay in left field.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Julio Borbon is locked in as the starting center fielder.

We figured he was the favorite but thought there might at least be a semblence of a competition between he and David Murphy. Washington said that while Murphy won't start, he will play "an integral part of our club." Borbon entered last season as the everyday center fielder but fell into a part-time role due to his struggles at the plate. He has major stolen base potential if he can get on base consistently.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Josh Hamilton will be moved to left field next season to cut down on the wear and tear on his body, with Julio Borbon getting the first crack in center.

We've heard this before. Borbon was slated to be the everyday center fielder last season but got off to a woeful start and wound up as a part-time player for a good chunk of the season. He'll have to hit to keep a job, but if he does, he could easily provide 30+ steals for fantasy owners.

Julio Borbon will start in left field in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Rays on Thursday.

Rangers manager Ron Washington played the matchups by using Jeff Francoeur against David Price in Game 1. Borbon will bat ninth in Thursday's game.

Julio Borbon was 1-for-5 with a two-run double and a career-high four RBI in an extra-inning win over the Yankees on Friday night.

We don't see this sort of production from Borbon often. Entering Friday's action, he had just four RBI over his last 20 games combined. In other words, cherish it. Make a nice mental note of it. Just never expect it again. That doesn't mean he should be ignored in fantasy leagues. Quite the contrary. Though he hasn't drawn a single walk, Borbon is batting .351 (13-for-37) over his last 12 games.

Julio Borbon returned to the starting lineup on Sunday.

He'd sat for four straight games in favor of David Murphy. Borbon was just 18-for-88 (.205) in the 28 games prior to his benching. "It has been a little bit tough," Borbon said. "It's been an unusual stretch for my body. You get used to playing and you shut it down like that, it feels like you've been on the disabled list. But it also helps get rid of the aches and soreness. You just have to keep practicing and be ready when your time comes."