How Rangers Will Work Through Injuries to Jakob Junis, Jalen Beeks

After a day off, the Texas Rangers had to moves two pitchers to their injured list and brought back a reliever who has been on the IL twice.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARLINGTON — After 15 games in 15 days, along with a rest day, the Texas Rangers deal with more attrition on Saturday. This time it was the bullpen.

President of baseball operations Chris Young said that right-hander Jakob Junis would go on the 15-day injured list with a hip impingement. That will allow Texas to bring back Chris Martin, who just wrapped up a rehab assignment for a right shoulder impingement for the second time this season.

The news was worse for Jalen Beeks. Young said the left-hander has a flexor tendon injury in his left arm and is opting for surgery that will end his season. The type of surgery isn’t clear yet.

Now, the Rangers must work without one of their top right-handed and left-handed options. How will they do it?

Rangers Without Jakob Junis and Jalen Beeks

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jalen Beeks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Junis emerged as one of the Rangers’ top high-leverage options this season. He is 1-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 31 games with 11 holds and five saves in six chances. With Jacob Latz now the closer, Junis slid in perfectly as an eighth-inning set-up man and closer on days when Latz couldn’t go. Now, those innings are likely to slide to Martin — for now.

“He’s in a really good spot,” Young said of Martin. We were able to address some things mechanically. I’m excited to get him back. I think we’re getting the good version of Chris.”

The 39-year-old right-hander said earlier this year and that location was his biggest issue before his first IL stint. He was 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA in 12 games.

Ben Peoples could also get some of those innings, though he has yet to make his MLB debut. With Triple-A Charlotte he was 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 29 games, all in relief, with two holds and four saves in five chances.

When the Rangers traded for Peoples, they knew they would have to roster him as Peoples had a clause in his contract that allowed him to become a free agent if they didn’t. But Young sees additional right-handed help, too.

“There’s no doubt he had success at Triple-A,” Young said. “We like a lot of his pitch characteristics and I think, given where we are from a right-handed pitching standpoint and how thin we are, that he would be a good fit for us.”

As for Beeks, he was one of the Rangers’ more reliable left-handed options. Signed in March, he was 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 games. He had been on the injured list since June 11 with lower back spasms and was approaching activation when he reported the soreness in his elbow to team trainers. Texas doesn’t have to make a corresponding move for Beeks, though they may move him to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man spot.

Texas has two left-handed relievers, in addition to Latz — Tyler Alexander and Robby Ahlstrom. Alexander has become indispensable as an opener for bullpen games and as a left-handed set-up pitcher while Ahlstrom has been solid in the middle innings. Both are likely to take on more innings as the All-Star break approaches. Texas could add left-handers from the minor leagues, but they only have two healthy lefties at Triple-A Round Rock in Marco Gonzales and Thomas Ireland, the latter of which has been used as a reliever this season.