Injured Texas Rangers Rookie Set for Next Rehab Milestone Later This Week

The Texas Rangers are hopeful that their young rookie starter can get back to throwing in a game next week.

Mar 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (35) throws during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers could use a little more depth in their starting rotation and it’s possible they could have more next week.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters, including MLB.com, that rookie Jack Leiter is scheduled to throw another live batting practice on Thursday at Globe Life Field.

Leiter went on the 15-day injured list earlier this month with a right middle finger blister. He has thrown a few times since going on the injured list, including a 35-pitch live batting practice session during the road trip. In most cases, he’s worn a bandage on the finger, something he cannot do during games.

The 24-year-old right-hander is eligible to come off the IL on Thursday, as his move was retroactive to April 2. Bochy indicated that Thursday’s session would be a decision point. If all goes well, then Leiter could start next week.

The question is whether he would start with the Rangers or do a rehab start in the minor leagues. It also depends on whether the blister remains healed.

During Tuesday’s game, Rangers Sports Network reported that Leiter had experimented with using glue to ensure the blister didn’t break, but didn’t like the way it felt and went back to the bandage for bullpen sessions.

Blisters can be a pesky injury. They caused reliever Joe Barlow to be placed on the injured list three times between 2021-22.

Texas’ logic for moving Leiter to the IL now was to get ahead of it before it became a bigger issue. It came at a time in which the former Vanderbilt star was having his best stretch as a Major League pitcher.

He impressed all of baseball with a near-100 mph fastball and a new kick-change that was frustrating hitters. He was 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings with 10 strikeouts in his first two starts. His second start came one day after Nathan Eovaldi’s complete game shutout, as the Rangers pitched back-to-back 1-0 victories for the first time in franchise history.

Patrick Corbin is in Leiter’s spot in the rotation. He made his season debut last week in Chicago, about a week ahead of schedule due to Leiter’s injury.

The Rangers signed Corbin to a $1.1 million deal last week after losing both Cody Bradford and Jon Gray to injuries to start the season.

Corbin is a two-time All-Star and a 2019 World Series champion, and he has started at least 30 games in each of the last seven full seasons (excluding 2020).

After going 14-7 in 2019, the first year of a six-year, $140 million deal, he’s gone 33-70 with a 5.62 ERA.