The Texas Rangers are suffering from a massive World Series hangover. They bought at the MLB trade deadline and have proceeded to lose 12 of their 18 games since. Now, the Rangers got a mixed bag of news on pitching injuries. Manager Bruce Bochy told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that Tyler Mahle is going on the injured list with shoulder stiffness while Jon Gray comes off.
Tyler Mahle recently returned from the injured list. He started the season there as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The starter made just three starts between the injured list stints, allowing seven earned runs in 12.2 innings. He joined the team this offseason after two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Mahle signed a two-year deal with the Rangers.
On the good side, Jon Gray will be able to slide into the rotation in his place. The righty has made 17 starts this year, pitching to a 3.73 REA and a 106 ERA+. He made two relief appearances in the World Series last year, allowing just two hits and striking out seven in 4.2 innings pitched. The Rangers should prioritize making sure he is healthy for the beginning of next season.
The Rangers entered Tuesday's action with just a 0.4% chance of making the playoffs according to Fangraphs. The future of their starting rotation lies on the arms of aging pitchers who must stay healthy for the Rangers to bounce back next year.
Future of Rangers' pitching staff
The Rangers have three name-brand veteran pitchers in their rotation: Jacob DeGrom, Max Scherzer, and Nathan Eovaldi. The latter two were bandied about in trade rumors but they decided to hold on to both. DeGrom has been injured throughout his two seasons with the Rangers. He has only made six starts and is currently working his way back.
Scherzer is a free agent after this season and, after a tenure full of injuries in Texas, will likely head elsewhere in free agency. He will turn 40 years old during next season, which will be his 18th. While his prime is well behind him, he can go to a team with a young rotation and be a veteran leader. If he is willing to take a significant pay cut, the Pittsburgh Pirates would be a great option.
Eovaldi is under contract through next season and will remain with the Rangers after they decided not to trade him at the deadline. Considering the return starting pitchers like Trevor Rogers and Erick Fedde received, the Rangers could have set themselves up for the future by dealing Eovaldi. He must perform well next season to reward that decision.
The most important member of the Rangers rotation is DeGrom. He put together two of the best years a pitcher has ever had in 2018 and 2019 on his way to two Cy Young Awards. The Rangers paid a lot to get him, owing him $155 million over the next four seasons. His health has been the biggest issue and the team must ensure he is healthy for next year.
Mahle and Gray round out what could be one of the strongest rotations in baseball next season. The Rangers must have everyone healthy to start next season to bounce back from their World Series hangover.
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