Rangers Set Starting Pitchers for Season Opening Series with Phillies

The Texas Rangers announced their starting pitchers for their season-opening series with the Philadelphia Phillies, which gets underway Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.

Texas manager Skip Schumaker had already announced that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi would take the ball in the opening-day game, which is set for 3:05 p.m. central. Over the weekend, the Phillies announced that left-hander Christopher Sánchez would be their starting pitcher.

The Rangers announced the rest of the rotation via their social media accounts. Texas hosts Kansas City on Monday at 7:05 p.m. in the first of two exhibition games.

Rangers-Phillies Probables

Probable pitching matchups for this weekend’s season-opening series at Philadelphia:

Thu. - RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. LHP Christopher Sánchez
Sat. - RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Aaron Nola
Sun. - LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo
— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) March 23, 2026

After the Rangers and Phillies take a day off on Friday, Texas will start right-hander Jacob deGrom in Game 2 on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. central. The Phillies will start right-hander Aaron Nola, who also pitched for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic this month.

The Rangers will give their new left-hander, MacKenzie Gore, the start in Sunday's finale set for 12:35 p.m. The Phillies are set to start left-hander Jesús Luzardo. The Rangers acquired the left-hander in January from the Washington Nationals in a trade in which Texas sent five Top 30 prospects to the Nats.

Gore is starting Monday’s exhibition game.

That leaves right-hander Jake Leiter and the fifth starter to take the first two games of the series against Baltimore on Monday and Tuesday. Texas has not announced who the fifth starter will be. Kumar Rocker and Jacob Latz have been competing for the job during spring training.

There is a chance the Rangers could push back the fifth starter due to the off day on Friday. That would allow Eovaldi to start Tuesday’s game on normal rest. Texas would need that fifth starter in the finale against the Orioles on Wednesday.

The Rangers have signaled their desire to have deGrom start the home opener against the Cincinnati Reds on April 3.

Texas has one more exhibition game on Tuesday afternoon at Globe Life Field against the Royals before the team hops on a plane to head to Philadelphia for the opener.

Because the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants open the season on Wednesday, the Rangers, along with the rest of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams, must have their 26-man rosters set before that game begins.

Texas appears to have most of its roster locked up. The competitions remain for one or two more bullpen spots and a bench bat likely to be taken by a corner outfielder that can offer help as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching.