What It Means:

Justin Smoak gets the start at first base and will bat sixth, instead. Barring injury, Colabello's playing time figures to be low against right-handed pitchers throughout the postseason.

Smoak is in an interesting position for Thursday. He strikes out in 27.1 percent of his plate appearances against right-handed pitchers, but Rangers' starter Yovani Gallardo only averages 5.74 strikeouts per nine innings against lefties. When Smoak makes contact, he can hit it hard with a 37.3 hard-hit rate. Don't be surprised if Smoak's name appears prominently in the story of the game.