Texas Rangers Using Caution as Closer Candidate Battles Nerve Irritation

The Texas Rangers are already having to be cautious with one of the pitchers they believe could be a candidate to close games.

Aug 2, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Robert Garcia (61) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Pitchers and catchers reported to the Texas Rangers’ spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz., on Wednesday. But at least one wasn’t pitching from a mound.

Robert Garcia, the left-handed reliever the Rangers acquired in the Nathaniel Lowe trade with Washington, will get a slower ramp-up after president of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters, including MLB.com, that the pitcher was dealing with nerve irritation in his throwing arm.

While the rest of the Rangers’ pitching staff threw their first bullpens of spring training, Garcia was held out and will play catch from flat ground tomorrow.

"Nothing we're concerned about, but going to play cautiously here at the beginning of Spring Training,” Young said.

Last month, Garcia was one of the relievers he mentioned as potential closer candidates, along with veteran Chris Martin. The veteran has 14 career saves. Garcia has none at the Major League level.

The Rangers spent the offseason remaking their bullpen, as they allowed their two best high leverage options from last season hit free agency. Last year’s closer, Kirby Yates, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. David Robertson, an experienced closer who served as a set-up man, remains unsigned.

While the Rangers will keep an eye on the free agent market, Young said the team is content to work through the options they have as they try to build a bullpen that is as flexible as possible. That means the closer role could either be by committee or determined late in spring training.

In two Major League seasons, the 28-year-old left-hander is 5-8 with a 4.03 ERA. He has 18 career holds, including 13 last year. But he was 0-for-4 in save opportunities in 2024. He was a workhorse for Washington, as he appeared in 72 games.

He isn’t the only option that the Rangers could tap into for late-inning work, either. They signed another experienced reliever, Shawn Armstrong.

The veteran set-up man has eight career saves and 29 career holds in a decade-long career that has seen him go 11-8 with a 4.15 ERA.

The Rangers also acquired two other relivers with MLB experience in Jacob Webb, who has six career saves, and Hoby Milner, with one career save.

Garcia was drafted out of UC Davis in 2017 and made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2023. The Marlins waived him shortly after his debut and the Nationals acquired him via waivers.