Starters Uncertain for Texas Rangers Series at Seattle Mariners

The Texas Rangers will start Jordan Montgomery in Thursday’s series opener with the Seattle Mariners.

That appears to be all the team is willing to disclose going into the final series of the regular season. The club has yet to name a starter for the remaining three contests of the four-game set.

That could be the nature of the Rangers closing in on a playoff berth and, perhaps, the American League West division crown. After Wednesday’s 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels, their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is one.

It’s possible the Rangers are waiting to see if they can clinch a playoff berth on Thursday before setting the remainder of their rotation for the series.

Montgomery (10-11, 3.25) took the victory against Seattle on Saturday, part of a three-game sweep at home that helped propel the Rangers into the AL West lead. He threw seven innings, giving up five hits and no runs. He struck out six and walked two.

He has been Texas’ most consistent starter the past two months, as the Rangers acquired him at the trade deadline. He is 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA in his last seven starts, with 33 strikeouts and nine walks in 43 2/3 innings.

He is set to go against Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert (13-7, 3.75).

After that? The Rangers do have options based on normal rest.

Nathan Eovaldi (12-4, 3.26) could start on Friday, which would be an on-time start for him after pitching on Sunday against Seattle. In that game he claimed the victory, but he wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be. He threw five innings for the second straight start, but he gave up six hits and five earned runs, with six strikeouts and two walks.

Eovaldi spent more than a month on the injured list with a right forearm strain.

Saturday would be Jon Gray’s spot on normal rest, but he left Monday’s start with right wrist tightness and underwent testing on Tuesday. It’s not clear when he’ll pitch again. Gray (9-8, 4.12) went six innings in a game the Rangers ultimately won.

Sunday is Max Scherzer’s spot in the rotation, which he vacated earlier this month due to injury. The Rangers have opted to either skip the spot, if the schedule allowed, or start Cody Bradford there.

Bradford (4-3, 5.30) started there on Tuesday, so he could pitch on normal rest on Sunday. He gave up seven hits and six earned runs against the Angels on Tuesday.

The Rangers have hinted at trying to get left-hander Martín Pérez (10-4, 4.57) back in the rotation. The Rangers appeared poised to do that on Tuesday, but Pérez threw 1 2/3 innings of relief for Eovaldi on Sunday the Rangers opted not to turn him around on less than two day’s rest.

The Rangers also have starter Andrew Heaney (10-6, 4.31), who has been in the bullpen since Eovaldi returned to the rotation. The left-hander threw 1 1/3 innings of relief against the Angels on Monday.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.