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Rangers Reliever Josh Sborz Still Has Work to Do Before Returning to Majors
Josh Sborz’s road back to the Texas Rangers bullpen will take a bit longer, as the right-handed reliever still has several hurdles to clear in his rehab process.
After undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason, Sborz has made just two appearances on his current rehab assignment—insufficient for a Major League return, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy noted that he plans to consult with team trainers to evaluate Sborz’s latest outing, but emphasized the reliever isn’t quite there yet.
“We want to see him go up and down, maybe even pitch multiple innings,” Bochy said. “There are still a few boxes he needs to check before we consider activating him.”
Sborz’s rehab stint was shifted to Double-A Frisco on Friday after previously pitching for Triple-A Round Rock in Las Vegas. In his outing with the RoughRiders, Sborz worked one inning but struggled with command—walking two, striking out one, and surrendering a hit and an earned run.
In his earlier appearance with the Express on July 12, Sborz threw just two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits, one walk, and striking out one.
The 30-year-old has been sidelined all season as he recovers from surgery on his throwing shoulder. Earlier this year, he admitted regaining confidence in his arm has been a gradual process.
“You deal with an injury like that for a year and a half, and it sticks with you,” Sborz said. “You’ve got to learn to let go of the past.”
Before starting his rehab assignment, Sborz was encouraged by his velocity—his pitches were clocking over 90 mph—and he felt good about the shape of his curveball. However, he noted his slider was still a couple of ticks below where he wanted it in terms of velocity.
Sborz pitched in 17 games for Texas last season, posting a 3.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts and four walks across 16.1 innings. He was also a key part of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run, famously closing out Game 5 of the Fall Classic.
Originally debuting with the Dodgers in 2019, Sborz came to Texas in 2021 via trade after Los Angeles designated him for assignment. Over his MLB career, he’s 13-13 with a 4.96 ERA in 154 games (one start), striking out 193 and walking 69 in 163.1 innings while holding opponents to a .238 batting average.
As the Rangers aim to bolster their bullpen for the playoff push, they’ll be watching closely to see if Sborz can clear those final rehab hurdles
