The Rangers have brought Jordan Montgomery back to the active roster and cleared a spot by designating Nolan Kingham for assignment.
Montgomery was activated from the 60-day injured list, ending a long layoff that included all of 2025 and the first part of this year while he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander is back in the majors after a rough 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the club he joined on a two-year free-agent deal after the 2023 season. In that stint, he posted a 6.23 ERA over 117 innings, working 21 starts and four relief appearances.
His rehab assignment gave the Rangers a more encouraging look. Over nearly two months, Montgomery made eight rehab appearances and turned in a 3.75 ERA in 24 innings, striking out 21 and walking three. His velocity was still down, by about 3 mph from where he sat in 2023 and 1.5 mph from his Diamondbacks numbers, though Montgomery has said he expects that to climb once he is back on a major league mound and the adrenaline kicks in.
Texas has said Montgomery can be used either as a starter or out of the bullpen. For now, with the rotation largely settled, he’ll likely begin in relief. The Rangers could still slide him into a start later if they hit a stretch without an off day and want to give the rest of the rotation an extra breather.
That left Kingham as the roster casualty. The 29-year-old had been called up to provide bullpen length until one of the regular arms returned, and he also logged his major league debut during the brief stint. The expectation is that he clears waivers and goes back to the Round Rock rotation.
In Other News...
George Springer Could Fill A Rangers Need At The Perfect Time
George Springer has lingered on the rumor mill for months, and the timing around him has only sharpened the speculation. The veteran outfielder is in the final year of his contract, has dealt with injuries this season and is healthy now, which is part of why his name keeps coming up whenever clubs start looking for offense with a clear deadline in mind. Torontos front office has said it wants him to stay, even as the Blue Jays sit out of playoff contention and the rest of the league keeps watching.
For Texas, the fit is easy to see if Toronto ever changes course. The Rangers have been searching for ways to strengthen the lineup, and Springers track record would make him an obvious target if he became available at the right moment. The question is whether the Blue Jays stay firm or eventually decide his situation is too complicated to carry through the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Roster Crunch Is Building Toward One Tough Decision
The Rangers roster picture tightened again this week when infielder Cody Freeman came off the 10-day injured list and was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, while pitcher Cody Bradford was also activated from the 60-day injured list. To clear the needed space, MacKenzie Gore was placed on the paternity list, another reminder that Texas is juggling health, rehab returns and the daily math of keeping the active roster workable.
Now the real squeeze is coming with Jordan Montgomery nearing his own activation, a move that could arrive in time for this weekends series and force the Rangers to decide how they want to use him right away. A corresponding move may also be needed to create room, and Nolan Kingham appears to be the name most likely to be in the crosshairs as Texas tries to line up its pitching mix without losing too much flexibility. [Read more 🡒]