Rangers-Royals Game Today (8/21/25): Preview, How to Watch & Live Stream

The Texas Rangers conclude their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Texas Rangers first baseman Joc Pederson (4) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers wrap up their only visit to Kansas City on Thursday afternoon with a getaway game against the Royals at 1:10 p.m. central time.

The Rangers remain under .500 as they prepare to head back to Globe Life Field for a homestand that includes a ceremony on Friday to unveil the statue of recent Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Beltre. It could take Texas’ recent downturn off the minds of fans, as they’ve watched the Rangers fall out of the AL West race and into the outskirts of the wild card picture. The Rangers need a long winning streak to get back into contention but have lost eight of their last 10 games.

Manager Bruce Bochy is dealing with a family matter and won’t be on the bench on Thursday. Bench coach Luis Ureta will manage the team. Bochy is expected to meet the Rangers for Friday’s opener with the Cleveland Guardians.

Here is the entire preview for the game, with probable pitchers, how to watch and listen, injury updates and more.

How to Watch Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals

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Game Day: Thursday, Aug. 21

Game Time: 1:10 p.m. CT

Watch: Rangers Sports Network, Victory+ (Rangers); FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City (Royals); MLB Network (out-of-market for both teams only)

Listen: 105.3 The Fan/1270 KFLC-AM (Spanish) (Rangers); Royals Radio Network (Royals)

Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City

Thursday’s Probable Pitchers

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Rangers: LHP Patrick Corbin (6-9, 4.45)

The 36-year-old left-hander was a savior at the start of the season. But he may be running out of gas as the final weeks of the season approach. In his last three starts he has been unable to get out of the fifth inning and has failed to pitch more than three innings two of them. In his last seven starts he is 1-23 with a 5.23 ERA, including 31 strikeouts and 15 walks in 31.0 innings.

In 119 innings he has 99 strikeouts and 40 walks while allowing batters to hit .270 against him. Corbin could be a candidate to go through revokable waivers by the end of August, giving the Rangers a chance to shed his remaining salary — which isn’t much — and giving Corbin a chance to hook up with a contender.

Royals: RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.43)

The right-hander is an old friend, having played for the Rangers for part of the 2024 season and going 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA in 19 games (18 starts). He was traded at last year’s deadline to the Royals for left-handed Pitcher Walter Pennington. He returned to Kansas City on a one-year deal this offseason.

In his last seven starts he is 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA, with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks in 38.2 innings. For the season he has struck out 88 and walked 31 in 103.2 innings while batters are hitting .257 against him.

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Rangers Injuries

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IL, 10 or 15-day

Cole Winn, P (15-day, right arm fatigue, placed on Aug. 20, eligible to return Sept. 5): President of baseball operations Chris Young said Winn was dealing with nerve irritation on his throwing thumb, per MLB.com.

Jake Burger, 1B (10-Day, left wrist discomfort, placed on Aug. 18, eligible to return Aug. 28): An MRI determined that Burger’s left wrist is sprained.

Jon Gray, P (15-day, right shoulder nerve irritation, placed on Aug. 17, eligible to return Sept. 1): Gray is dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome and a timeline to return is unclear.

Sam Haggerty, OF (10-day, left ankle inflammation, placed on Aug. 17, eligible to return Aug. 27): Haggerty had left ankle issues a month ago. This issue appears to be related.

Adolis Garcia, OF (10-Day, left ankle sprain, placed on Aug. 13, eligible to return Aug. 23): Garcia is expected to be ready at the 10-day activation mark, or shortly after.

Chris Martin, RHP (15-Day, left calf strain, placed on July 21, eligible to return Aug. 5): Martin is shut down after a setback during a live batting practice session last week.

Jacob Webb, RHP (15-Day, back spasms, placed on July 30, retroactive to July 29, eligible to return): Webb began a rehab assignment last week.

IL, 60-Day or Season-Ending

Josh Sborz, RHP (60-Day, right shoulder surgery recovery, placed on Feb. 17, eligible to return): Sborz is back on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues.

Tyler Mahle, RHP (60-Day, right shoulder fatigue, placed on 15-day IL on June 15, retroactive to June 12, moved to 60-day IL on July 1, eligible to return mid-August): He is playing catch and beginning to stretch out. Bochy said that will be his regimen for the next two weeks.

Cody Bradford, LHP (60-Day, left elbow sprain, placed on 15-day IL on March 27, transferred to 60-day IL on Feb. 8, out for season): Bradford had season-ending elbow surgery after a setback in his recovery. He should return sometime in 2026.