Minor league action on 9/4/26 featured a little bit of everything, from solid starting pitching in Hickory to speed on the bases for Hub City and a mixed night on the mound for Frisco.
Hickory got five strong innings from Moises Morales, who gave up one run while striking out seven and walking one. Louis Marinaro followed with two innings that included one run allowed, two strikeouts and one walk. Michael Trausch worked a scoreless inning despite three walks, while Geury Rodriguez finished with two shutout frames.
The Hickory lineup did its part, too. Seong-Jung Kim went 2 for 5 with a double and a homer. Paulino Santana turned in a 3-for-4 night with a double and a walk, and Jay McQueen added two hits in five trips with a walk.
Andrew Susac gave Hub City two shutout innings and struck out one. At the plate, the speed game stood out. Paxton Kling went 2 for 4 with a walk and two stolen bases, Chandler Pollard reached twice on walks, went 1 for 2 and swiped two bags, and Eduardo Mejia finished 2 for 4 with a walk.
Frisco’s pitching line had more traffic. Leandro Lopez allowed a run over two innings, J’Briell Easley made his AA debut and gave up two runs in one inning while striking out one, and Brock Porter surrendered a run across three innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
The offense had some pop and some activity on the bases. Arturo Disla homered, Rafe Perich had a hit and a stolen base, Sebastian Walcott logged a hit, a walk and a stolen base, and Yeison Morrobel added a hit.
On the mound in relief, Josh Sborz walked one in 0.2 scoreless innings. Rehabbing Carter Baumler struck out three in a shutout inning. Michel Otanez allowed a solo homer in one inning and struck out one, Wilian Bormie fanned one in a scoreless inning, and Ryan Lobus gave up a three-run homer while striking out three over two innings.
At the plate for Frisco, rehabbing Kyle Higashioka had a hit in five plate appearances as the DH. Alejandro Osuna collected two hits, and John Taylor finished with a hit and a walk.
In Other News...
Rangers Fixed One Streaming Mess But Another May Be Coming
The Rangers already solved one streaming headache by shifting their local service from Victory+ to BZZR after concerns surfaced about Victory+s financial footing. That concern turned out to be justified when Victory+ shut down, leaving Texas with a new platform in place and at least some short-term stability for fans trying to follow the club without the traditional TV route.
BZZR is only locked in through the end of the season, though, and the bigger question is what comes next. The Rangers have options on the table, including Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV and MLB.TV, but none has been finalized, and the team is still sitting on an estimated $30 million it is owed by Victory+ with little realistic chance of getting it back. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Could Face A Costly New Threat In The AL West
Arte Morenos agreement to sell a controlling interest in the Los Angeles Angels to Stan Kroenke adds another layer of intrigue to a division that already has plenty of it for the Rangers. Morenos tenure was defined by big-name talent and little October payoff, with the Angels routinely falling short of the postseason even with stars like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the mix. For Texas, the move matters because it could reshape the balance of power in the AL West if Kroenke brings a different level of stability, spending appetite or organizational muscle to Anaheim.
The Rangers have spent the better part of recent seasons trying to build a roster and payroll strong enough to keep pace with the divisions heavyweights, and the Angels have often been part of that equation in a frustrating way. A new owner with deep sports ties could change how aggressive Los Angeles is in the market and how quickly it tries to close the gap, which is exactly why this sale is worth watching from Arlington. The Rangers do not just need to worry about the teams that have already been threats. They may soon be dealing with a different kind of competition down the freeway. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Carter Has One Big Hurdle In His Rangers Breakout Path
Evan Carters path back to the kind of all-around impact the Rangers saw in 2023 has not been a smooth one this season. The defense has still been there, with Carter grading out well in the outfield and continuing to add value on that side of the ball, but the bat has looked flatter, and the underlying contact profile has backed that up. His line-drive and ground-ball rates have slipped, the hard-hit contact has dropped, and he has not been living in the launch-angle sweet spot that helped drive his breakout.
For Texas, that leaves Carter in a familiar but important spot: still young enough to project forward, but clear-eyed enough to know the offensive answer will likely require some swing adjustments. The Rangers do not need him to reinvent himself overnight, but they do need the bat to catch up with the glove if he is going to reclaim the ceiling that made him such an exciting piece in the first place. An offseason of mechanical work may be where that next step has to start. [Read more 🡒]