Rangers Turn to Veteran Carl Edwards Jr. for Bullpen Help Down Stretch

The Texas Rangers made a move to bring in a veteran arm to help give their bullpen some coverage in September.

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. (58) throws against the Houston Astros in the tenth inning at Minute Maid Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

ARLINGTON — Carl Edwards Jr. hasn’t pitched in the Majors since April. He’s been cooling his jets with Triple-A Round Rock since July. But no longer.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Sunday that the franchise selected Edwards’ contract from Round Rock and called him up for Sunday’s game. To make room for him, the Rangers had to designated reliever Caleb Boushley for assignment. Edwards was en route to Arlington as he told the media about the move.

Texas was preparing for its final game of its three-game series with the Houston Astros and, with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to town on Monday, he said the priority was on finding an arm that was ready to go now.

“He’s an experienced right-hander,” Bochy said. “He has 10 or 11 years in the big leagues, been up since 2015, so he has experience here.”

He also has a history with the Rangers — he was their 48th round pick in the 2011 MLB draft out of Prosperity, S.C.

Boushley made 25 appearances, including one start, and didn’t factor in a decision. He had a 6.02 ERA and struck out 41 in 43.1 innings. The Rangers could still option him to Triple-A Round Rock if he clears waivers.

Carl Edwards in 2025

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Edwards signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels in March but didn’t make the franchise’s opening-day roster. His contract was selected in April, and he spent a few days with the Angels before he was designated for assignment. He elected free agency, spent a couple of months in the Mexican League and then signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers on July 22.

With the Angels, he made two appearances as he struck out two and walked one in three innings. He had a 9.00 ERA as he gave up three earned runs. While with Round Rock he was 2-1 with a 5.31 ERA in eight games (seven starts), with 44 strikeouts and 13 walks in 39 innings. Batters were hitting .286 against him.

With Texas facing a critical stretch of games that will determine if it is able to worm its way into the AL wild card playoffs, Bochy said the Rangers were emphasizing experience.

“We had to get someone here right away, somebody who was ready to go,” Bochy said. “He’s fresh and we just needed coverage, just in case something happens early.”

About Carl Edwards

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Edwards made his Major League debut in 2015 with the Chicago Cubs, two years after the Rangers included him in a trade for right-handed starting pitcher Matt Garza at the 2013 trade deadline. Edwards spent more than four season with the Cubs, including 2016 when Chicago won its first World Series in more than a century.

At the 2019 deadline the Cubs traded him to the San Diego Padres, and Edwards has been a bullpen arm for hire ever since. After the Padres, he played for the Seattle Marinres in 2020, the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, the Washington Nationals in 2022-23, the Padres again in 2024 and the Los Angeles Angels earlier this year.

He has a career record of 16-14 with a 3.59 ERA in 298 MLB appearances, with 330 strikeouts and 149 walks in 283 innings.