The Texas Rangers have struggled to win consistently this season. However, the defending World Series champs could have a very different look in the second-half of the season. The Rangers got positive injury news earlier today as ace Jacob deGrom is nearing his return to action. Now the team could be getting another starter back from injury.
Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy believes pitcher Tyler Mahle stands a good chance of starting against the Houston Astros on Tuesday, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News on X. The outing would be his first in a Rangers’ uniform.
Mahle’s season was cut short last year when he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. He then signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Rangers in the offseason. However he’s yet to take the mound for his new team as he continues to work his way back from injury.
The 29-year-old veteran spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2022. However, he last pitched a full season in 2021 for the Reds, posting a 13-6 record along with a 3.75 ERA, an ERA+ of 125 and 210 strikeouts in 180 innings.
Rangers’ Tyler Mahle nearing 2024 debut
Mahle has pitched well during his rehab assignment with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. In his final tuneup for his big league season debut, Mahle went 4 ⅔ innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four batters, according to a report from MLB.com. In six rehab appearances in the minors, Mahle has a 2.50 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18 innings.
The Rangers were hoping to have Mahle and deGrom join starters Nathan Eovaldi and Max Scherzer to form an intimidating rotation that could help Texas make a strong second-half push and return to the postseason.
Unfortunately, the Rangers lost Scherzer to the 15-day injured list, the 40-year-old veteran’s second IL stint this season. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has only made eight starts and pitched 39.1 innings for Texas so far this season.
The Rangers are 5.5 games behind the Astros and the Seattle Mariners in the AL West entering play on Saturday. They will need their rotation at full strength to have a chance to overtake both teams and claim the division. Rangers' fans hope the anticipated return of Mahle on August 6 is the start of a return to the team’s winning ways. As for Mahle, he’ll be thrown directly into the heat of a division race with his season debut coming against Texas’ AL West rivals the Astros.
Follow Us
Subscribe