The Texas Rangers will activate pitcher Tyler Mahle from the 60-day injured list ahead of Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins. Mahle is expected to start the series opener, although Miami has yet to name their starting pitcher. Since the Rangers already have a full 40-man roster, they’ll need to either designate a player for assignment or move Marcus Semien, Nathan Eovaldi, or Sam Haggerty to the 60-day injured list to make room.
Mahle is coming back from a shoulder injury that kept him out for three months. He was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain in mid-June and was sidelined from all baseball activities for several weeks. His rehab started earlier this month with Triple-A Round Rock. After a rough first outing — giving up five runs in one inning — he bounced back with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing only three hits.
With the season winding down, Mahle is expected to make just two starts — one against Miami and another against either the Twins or Guardians. While it’s likely too late to affect the playoff picture, his return gives him a chance to show he’s healthy before hitting free agency. The Rangers have slipped in the Wild Card race, now sitting 4.5 games behind the Red Sox and Mariners with only nine games left. They likely need to go 8-1 to have a shot.
Mahle had a strong stretch earlier this season, posting a 2.34 ERA across 77 innings, though his strikeout rate was modest at 18.2%. He has dealt with multiple injuries since signing his two-year deal with Texas, including recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2023 and more recent shoulder trouble. Despite his talent, teams will likely only offer him a short-term deal in free agency due to his injury history. His rehab velocity was slightly down, likely because of the shortened ramp-up.
In the minors, Kumar Rocker is set to pitch two innings for Triple-A Round Rock, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The former third overall draft pick hasn’t pitched in a Triple-A game since August 7, as he’s been adjusting his release point away from game action. The Rangers may still consider calling him up before the season ends. Rocker began the year in the rotation but struggled, posting a 5.74 ERA as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
