Rangers Opening Day Lineup: Batting Order, Starting Pitcher and Injury Report

The Texas Rangers open the season on the road as they face the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday in the first game of a 162-game regular season that Texas hopes will lead to their first playoff berth since 2023.

Of course, that 2023 season is etched in the minds of Rangers fans everywhere as the season that the franchise finally won its first World Series title. Now and the Rangers are trying to flip the script and get back to the postseason under new manager Skip Schumacher.

It was a drama free spring training for Texas. The Rangers experienced only a handful of injuries to players they expected to be competing for 26-man roster spots. The biggest surprises were that Rule 5 draft pick Carter Baumler made the opening day roster as a reliever and 39-year-old slugger Andrew McCutchen made the team with just two weeks in spring training after he was signed in early March.

The Rangers are off on Friday, followed by two more games with the Phillies on Saturday and Sunday. After that, they head to Baltimore for a three-game series with the Orioles that starts on Monday. Texas plays its home opener on April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds at Globe Life Field.

Here is everything to get fans ready for the Rangers-Phillies game.

Texas Rangers Opening Day Lineup

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager swings through a pitch. — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

CF Wyatt Langford

SS Corey Seager (L)

1B Jake Burger

DH Andrew McCutchen

3B Josh Jung

2B Josh Smith (L)

C Danny Jansen

LF Sam Haggerty (S)

Pitching Matchup

Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-3, 1.73 in 2025) vs. Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA)

Eovaldi is making his third straight opening day start for the Rangers. Sánchez was the National League runner up for the National League Cy Young award last season.

Today’s Game

Time: 3:15 p.m. CT

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

TV: Rangers Sports Network. Game can be streamed on Victory+

Radio: KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270

Remaining Pitching Matchups for Series

Saturday: Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola

Sunday: Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. Phillies LHP Jesús Luzardo

Rangers Injuries

Texas Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford throws a baseball — Texas Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

10-Day Injured List

INF Cody Freeman (lumbar stress reaction: Freeman suffered the injury in spring training and should begin baseball activities soon.

15-Day Injured List

LHP Cody Bradford (left UCL surgery): Bradford threw 25 pitches in a live batting practice on Monday. The hope is that he is ready to return sometime in May.

60-Day Injured List

LHP Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery): Montgomery is not expected to help the Rangers until the second half of the season.