The Texas Rangers were ten games out of first place in the AL West and 9.5 games out of a playoff spot entering Tuesday night's action.

Things are getting serious which means that the Rangers' health is of the utmost importance. On Tuesday, Manager Bruce Bochy dropped two key updates on pitchers on Texas' pitching staff: Tyler Mahle and Jon Gray. According to the veteran Rangers manager, Gray is headed to the injured list with a foot malady and is out for the season. Mahle is also “pretty much shut down” according to Bochy, meaning he likely will not start another game this year.

The info came during a time when Max Scherzer's injury return timeline was revealed. Jacob DeGrom could bolster the Rangers' rotation this weekend, sharing his optimistic thoughts on the recovery process.

With so much in flux, the Rangers clearly are one of the most difficult teams to predict as far the rest of their 2024 fortunes go. The time is now for Texas to make a playoff charge, with the schedule taking an interesting turn.

Rangers' schedule heats up 

Texas Rangers pitcher Jon Gray (22) throws a pitch against the Oakland Athletics in the third inning at Globe Life Field.
© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Bochy's Rangers were scheduled to take on the New York Yankees on Tuesday night at home in a matchup that could be the canary in the coal mine as to how much fight Bochy's team still has left in its aching bones.

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The Rangers have won five of seven games despite their ongoing injury woes, a testament to Bochy's job as manager and the team's deep talent pool. Texas won't be mistaken for a World Series contender anytime soon but odds are that the Rangers will pour out every ounce of their blood, sweat and tears in an effort to climb back up toward the top of the AL West.

Schedule-wise, things are set to lighten up a little bit in the near future with the Los Angeles Angels on deck for a four-game series.

Gray and Mahle's exits, revisited

Jon Gray is not a Cy Young candidate at this stage of his career but he is an innings eater with far more Ks than bases on balls. His presence will certainly be missed by the Texas managerial staff and fans.

Tyler Mahle has not been a contributor on the same level as Jon Gray but his arm will be missed on the Rangers' staff as the team continues to trudge forward in need of stringing together more than a few wins to vault itself back into playoff contention.

The weight will once again fall on Bruce Bochy to manage his team back to where he feels it belongs. Time is running out, but stranger things have happened in MLB than a rally like what it would take for the Rangers to make the playoffs.