The Rangers keep stacking wins at just the right time, and now they’ll try to keep the surge going Tuesday night against Cleveland with Jacob deGrom back on the mound.
Texas enters the matchup at 43-42, a game over .500 for the first time in a while and riding a five-game winning streak. The Rangers have won seven of their last 10 and own the American League’s best record since May 29. That push has nudged them into first place in the AL West, though only by a slim margin - Texas leads Seattle by one-half game, and the top four teams in the division are separated by just three games.
The rotation gets a little more normal again with deGrom starting Tuesday after the Rangers pushed him back a day for extra rest during a brutal stretch that saw them play two weeks without an off day.
Texas is set to face Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee in a 5:40 p.m. game.
Tuesday’s matchup: Texas RHP Jacob deGrom (6-5, 3.55) vs. Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (2-8, 3.78)
The Rangers’ lineup also brings a few matchups worth watching against Bibee.
Jake Burger stands out first. He has crushed Bibee in a tiny sample, going 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI for a 2.100 OPS. Burger has also been one of Texas’ hottest hitters over the last 15 games, posting a .302/.393/.509 line with three homers and 11 RBI.
Corey Seager is another name to circle. He returns after Monday off and is the only other Rangers hitter on the roster with an RBI against Bibee.
In 14 career at-bats against him, Seager is hitting .286 with two RBI. Still, there’s a reason to keep expectations in check: he’s a career .208 hitter at Progressive Field.
Evan Carter enters with a different kind of case. He has yet to get a hit in five at-bats against Bibee, but there are signs of life around him.
Carter is hitting .455 at Progressive Field in four games, and he backed up Monday’s game with two hits, both against left-handed pitchers. That at least hints his bat may be starting to wake up.
In Other News...
Two Rangers Stars Sitting Out Has Fans Worried Again
The Rangers were back in a familiar holding pattern Monday night, sitting Brandon Nimmo and Corey Seager against the Guardians as the club tried to keep two key bats from turning a short-term issue into something bigger. Nimmos shoulder is still being monitored after he ran into a wall in a recent game, while Seager is coming back carefully after a concussion and the team is clearly focused on managing his workload rather than pushing him too fast.
For Texas, the concern is less about one game than the larger picture, because both absences speak to how delicate this stretch can be when important players are being protected instead of deployed. The Rangers have already mapped out a gradual increase in Seagers playing time, and with Nimmo still in injury management mode, every lineup decision now carries a little more scrutiny from fans hoping this is just caution and not the start of a longer interruption. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Roster Moves Sent A Clear Message About Their Rotation Trouble
The Rangers spent Monday making it clear they are still shopping for answers on the mound, signing veteran right-hander Chris Paddack and selecting the contract of Cameron Cauley while reshuffling the edges of the roster to fit the move. Paddack went four innings against the Cleveland Guardians, and the club has been leaving itself room to keep working the pitching market as it tries to stabilize a staff that has taken on more strain than it expected.
Jack Leiter is out until at least August after ankle surgery, and Jordan Montgomery is still about a month away from coming back from Tommy John surgery, so the need for depth is not going away anytime soon. Texas has kept a 40-man spot open to stay ready for another veteran free-agent arm if the right fit emerges, a sign that Mondays moves may have been only the latest step in a longer rotation repair job. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Tough Deadline Call On Resurgent Veteran
The Rangers have spent much of this season trying to stay ahead in the AL West despite an uneven overall profile, and the bullpen remains one of the clearer areas for help before the trade deadline. MLB.coms Mark Feinsand points out that Texas could use more high-velocity relief arms, especially with a staff that has struggled to miss bats late in games and sits near the bottom of the league in that department.
One name that naturally fits the conversation is a familiar one for Rangers fans, given what he meant to the club during its 2023 title run. The complication is on the other side of the market, where Bostons recent surge has made any decision on moving a veteran reliever far less straightforward, leaving Texas to monitor whether the Red Sox are actually in a position to consider offers. [Read more 🡒]