Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Injured Rangers Starter to Throw BP Wednesday
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jon Gray is expected to throw batting practice on Wednesday in Houston as he works his way back from injury.
The Rangers noted Gray’s impending appearance at batting practice during a pregame session with the media before Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Astros to snap a nine-game losing streak.
The veteran starter, who signed a four-year, $56 million deal with the Rangers in the offseason, has been on the 15-day injured list since Aug. 2 with a left oblique strain.
Gray is one of three starters who have been on the injured list this month. Spencer Howard is going to start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock this weekend. The other starter, Cole Ragans, is coming off the injured list to start on Wednesday against Houston.
Gray left his last start on Aug. 1 after just 1 1/3 innings with the injury. He was placed on the 15-day injured list the next day. At that time, the Rangers noted that Gray was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. So he’s on time for his recovery.
Before his injury, he was a solid 1-2 punch with Martín Pérez, the Rangers’ only All-Star pitcher this season. Gray is 7-6 for the season with a 3.83 ERA. But in June and July he won six games in 11 starts and trimmed his ERA from 5.04 to 3.62.
Gray has 116 strikeouts against 34 walks this season.
How Gray’s batting practice session goes could determine how quickly he returns to the rotation. The Rangers have typically sent injured pitchers to the minors for at least one rehabilitation start. Gray is one of the exceptions this season.
When he went on the injured list on April 9 with a middle finger blister, he returned 10 days later. And, when he returned to the injured list on April 22 with a low-grade knee sprain, he also returned to the rotation without a rehab start, but pitched with a knee brace for most of May.
The schedule may or may not complicate matters. The Rangers have an off-day on Thursday before starting a three-games series with Toronto on Friday at Globe Life Field. The following Monday, the Rangers have to travel to Miami for a doubleheader with the Marlins, part of a make-up series from the games lost to the MLB lockout. The Rangers then return home for two games with Oakland next Tuesday and Wednesday before an off-day, followed by a three-game road trip to Tampa Bay next weekend.
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