Leiter (finger) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Leiter landed on the injured list April 4 due to a blister on his right middle finger and is already eligible for activation, but he'll get in at least one rehab outing before rejoining the Rangers' rotation. The right-hander started the season strongly before the blister popped up, as he allowed just one earned run and posted a 10:1 K:BB over 10 innings across his first two starts, each of which resulted in a win. If Leiter's rehab start Tuesday goes well, he could be back in the major-league rotation as soon as next Sunday against San Francisco, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Trending for rehab start this week
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Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that Leiter (finger) could join Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday or Thursday to make a rehab start, MLB.com reports.
Leiter is first eligible to come off the 15-day injured list Thursday, but the Rangers are leaning toward having him make a brief pit stop in the minors before potentially slotting back into the big-league rotation next week. The right-hander, who is recovering from a blister on his right middle finger, completed a 35-pitch up-and-down bullpen session Sunday in his first mound work since being placed on the IL. The Rangers will wait and see how Leiter bounces back from the side session before deciding what day he'll start for Round Rock.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: IL decision looming
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Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that the Rangers are monitoring Leiter's finger blister and will soon decide whether a stint on the injured list is necessary, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
The 24-year-old exited Wednesday's start due to the blister and could probably pitch through the issue, but Texas is considering whether to instead allow it to heal up over the next couple weeks. Patrick Corbin is expected step into the starting rotation if Leiter ends up missing any time.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Earns first career win
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Leiter (1-0) earned the win Friday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four batters over five innings.
After finishing last season with an 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 35.2 innings, Leiter turned in the best start of his young MLB career Friday. The only damage done against the 24-year-old righty came on an RBI single off the bat of Wilyer Abreu in the fourth inning, but Leiter immediately got out of the jam by inducing a double play in the next at-bat. It's too early to tell if his strong outing is a sign of what's to come this year or just an outlier, but he certainly has plenty of momentum heading into his start next week in Cincinnati.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Earns rotation spot
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Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Tuesday that Leiter will open the season in the team's rotation, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Leiter showed an increase in velocity this spring while striking out 21 over 20.2 innings. He also walked 10, and whether the 24-year-old is ultimately able to throw enough strikes will go a long way in determining how successful he'll be. The upside is certainly there, but there's also risk.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Grinds through four frames
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Leiter allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings in Sunday's spring start against the White Sox.
Leiter gave up a lot of loud contact in the first inning, when the White Sox plated two runs, but he managed to grind out three scoreless innings after that. There were command issues, including the No. 9 batter with two outs after getting ahead of him -- but also enough for the right-hander to take away some positives following the game. "I think grinding through an outing like this, it wasn't the sharpest, but I made pitches when I had to," Leiter told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Much has changed for the pitcher since his previous start last Tuesday. Projected rotation members Cody Bradford (elbow) and Jon Gray (wrist) have been shut down and potentially face significant absences during the regular season. That puts Leiter and fellow Vanderbilt alum Kumar Rocker on paths to the rotation.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Walks five Tuesday
Rotowire
Leiter allowed one run on one hit and five walks while striking out five over 2.2 innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Angels.
Leiter was a late fill-in starter after Tyler Mahle was scratched due to forearm tightness. Perhaps the late change factored into the control issue exhibited by Leiter, who threw more balls (30) than strikes (29). Until this outing, Leiter was having an encouraging spring, handing out just one free pass over his first eight innings.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Sticking around in rotation
Rotowire
Leiter is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Angels in Arlington.
Though he could end up being squeezed out of the rotation once both Jacob deGrom (elbow) and Max Scherzer (shoulder) return from the injured list, Leiter will retain a starting role for now. The rookie had been pitching well at Triple-A Round Rock since the All-Star break, but he's yet to find much success through his first five big-league outings. He'll carry an 11.78 ERA and 2.13 WHIP into Saturday's start.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: To finish season in rotation
Rotowire
Leiter is expected to finish out the season as part of the Rangers' rotation, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. "We feel like he's done everything he can at Triple-A," Rangers general manager Chris Young said. "Now he needs some consistent starts at the major-league level. We're looking forward to him getting that in September."
Leiter, who started the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday, is expected to be called up for Monday's start against the Yankees. The right-hander logged a 3.51 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock in 2024, easily his best result in three professional seasons in the minors. He has a 12.83 ERA in four MLB starts this season, but Leiter's outing last Wednesday was the best of the four with two runs allowed across four frames.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Lasts four innings Wednesday
Rotowire
Leiter allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four over four-plus innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Wednesday.
Leiter was OK in his first major-league start since May 14, but it was still a rather inefficient performance. He threw 83 pitches (56 strikes) in total and allowed two runners to reach base in the fifth inning, one of which came around to score after Jose Urena entered the game as a long reliever. Leiter has a 12.83 ERA, 2.40 WHIP and 11:8 K:BB over 13.1 innings over four starts, though it's expected he'll spend most of the rest of the campaign in the majors to get some experience. He's tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Yankees in a tough matchup.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Officially promoted
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.
Leiter will officially serve as the Rangers' 27th man as he starts the second game of Wednesday's twin bill, though he is expected to remain in the big-league rotation for another several starts. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up 17 runs in only 9.1 innings over his first three MLB starts early in the season, but he's since logged a 3.83 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 51.2 innings in Triple-A.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Expected to remain in rotation
Rotowire
The Rangers will recall Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock to start Wednesday versus the White Sox and "intend to give him some runway" in the rotation during September, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Rangers are essentially turning the page to next season at this point and want to gauge Leiter's readiness for a rotation spot in 2025. Leiter's first three starts at the major-league level have not gone well (16.39 ERA), but the 24-year-old has had an excellent season at Round Rock and has pitched particularly well of late with a 2.37 ERA and 30:6 K:BB over 19 frames covering his last four outings.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Could start Wednesday
Rotowire
The Rangers could call Leiter up from Triple-A Round Rock to start Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Leiter has been in the minors since mid-May after yielding 17 runs in 9.1 innings over his first three big-league starts. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft has turned things around at Round Rock lately, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 63:18 K:BB across 42 innings during his last nine starts. With Max Scherzer (shoulder) suffering a setback that will prevent him from returning from the 15-day injured list next week and Dane Dunning experiencing diminished velocity in his most recent spot start, Leiter looks like he could be given the next chance to fill the fifth spot in the Texas rotation.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Yanked after 1.2 frames
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Leiter (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against Cleveland, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks across 1.2 innings. He struck out one.
Leiter's struggles continued Tuesday, hitting a batter, dishing out a walk and throwing a pair of wild pitches in the first inning before giving up six runs and being pulled before finishing the second frame. In the second, Leiter allowed a pair of extra-base hits: a two-RBI double to Bo Naylor and a three-run home run to Josh Naylor. With Dane Dunning (shoulder) nearing a return and Leiter posting a 16.39 ERA across three starts, Tuesday's start could be the rookie's last.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Promoted for Tuesday's start
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The Rangers recalled Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of his start against the Guardians on Tuesday.
The right-hander is back with Texas for his third start in the big leagues. Leiter's first two outings haven't gone particularly well, as he's given up 13 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits with a 6:3 K:BB over 7.2 innings. It may only be a spot start for the 24-year-old since Nathan Eovaldi (groin) may soon be back from the injured list.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Heads back to minors
Rotowire
The Rangers optioned Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
Leiter was up as the 27th man during Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Athletics and got rocked for six runs (four earned) over four innings. Because he was the designated 27th man, the 15-day rule doesn't apply to Leiter, so he'll remain an option to make a start next week versus the Guardians.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Roughed up again Wednesday
Rotowire
Leiter escaped with a no-decision in a 12-11 win over the A's in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader, coughing up six runs (four earned) on seven hits over four innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The rookie right-hander once again didn't look ready for the majors, serving up homers to Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom before getting the hook after 60 pitches (44 strikes). Leiter has taken a big step forward this season at Triple-A, but he's been tagged for 13 runs (11 earned) in his first 7.2 big-league innings, and the Rangers may look elsewhere for short-term rotation help rather than damage the 24-year-old's confidence any further.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Called up ahead of Wednesday's start
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of his scheduled start in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Athletics in Oakland.
Texas is designating Leiter as the 27th man for the twin bill, but he won't necessarily be heading back to Round Rock after making his second start of the season for the big club Wednesday. The Rangers surprisingly placed Dane Dunning (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, meaning the team should have an opening in the rotation for a fifth starter heading into next week. Leiter was torched for seven runs in 3.2 innings in his MLB debut April 18 in Detroit, but he gets a favorable draw for his second start in a pitcher-friendly venue against a weak Oakland lineup.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Likely to make start Wednesday
Rotowire
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Leiter will "probably" start the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Athletics, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Michael Lorenzen will start the first game of the double dip and Leiter has already joined the club in Oakland as he lines up for the second contest. The young right-hander struggled in a spot start in Detroit last month in his major-league debut, yielding seven runs over 3.2 frames. However, he's been sharp at Triple-A Round Rock with a 2.84 ERA and 37:8 K:BB over 25.1 innings. While there is obvious risk, Leiter represents an intriguing streaming option Wednesday. He's a possibility to make at least one additional start, as well while Nathan Eovaldi (groin) recovers.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Struggles in debut
Rotowire
Leiter did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Tigers. He allowed seven runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three in 3.2 innings.
After a clean first inning, the Tigers tagged Leiter for four runs in the second before tacking on three more with two outs in the fourth, making for a tough debut for the second overall pick in 2021. Leiter struggled to a 5.19 ERA in the minors last year, though he'd gotten off to a promising start this season, posting a 3.77 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 14.1 innings for Triple-A Round Rock. With Michael Lorenzen (neck) making his Rangers debut this weekend, Leiter could be headed back to the minors.
