Former Texas Rangers Reliever Set to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

Apr 13, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Jose Leclerc (37) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Athletics made some big additions to their roster during the offseason with the hope that the improvements they made, along with the development of their young core, would be enough to help propel them towards potential postseason contention. The A's were just swept by the Texas Rangers earlier this week, before winning the first two games against the Houston Astros (including Nick Kurtz's historic performance on Friday).

The A's enter play on Saturday with a record of 44-62, well outside of the hunt for October.

One of the pieces they brought in with the intention of him helping the inexperienced bullpen was longtime Ranger right-hander José Leclerc, who has been out of action since April 23. Oddly enough, that was the same date that Kurtz made his MLB debut.

While he has been out all year, there was still a minor hope that he may be able to return to the roster down the stretch, but this weekend, those hopes faded as it was announced that he will be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery with Dr. Keith Meister during the week of July 28, per MLB.com.

Leclerc struggled in his time in the green and gold, posting a 6.00 ERA in 10 appearances spanning nine innings of work. He gave up 13 hits, walked five, and struck out eight in that time, and also gave up three home runs. Two of those three home runs came on Opening Day in Seattle when he gave up the A's lead and ended up as the game's losing pitcher.

While he hasn't been on the A's active roster for the majority of the year, he's still been in the A's clubhouse consistently, doing work to rehab his injury. Part of the reason he was added was to be a veteran presence for the young guys, and he's still be able to be around for that role.

Leclerc spent eight seasons with the Rangers, posting a cumulative 3.34 ERA across 369 1/3 innings of work and collecting a total of 41 saves. While he's never been a superstar player, he's been a solid arm in the big leagues for years. A's fans were certainly aware of just how dominant he could be over his time with the Rangers.

There has been no reported timetable for a potential return, other than he will be out for the remainder of the season. This could be a scenario where he ends up re-signing with Texas on a minor-league deal during the offseason, going back to the place where he is comfortable.

The Rangers would get a nice depth piece that doesn't eat up a spot on the 40-man, and Leclerc would be in a familiar spot with a chance to show what he can still do.