Rangers to Start Jack Leiter, Set Batting Lineup for Orioles Series Opener

The Texas Rangers hope to win their second straight series of the season as they begin a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday night.

Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter will make his season debut as Texas hopes to have Jacob deGrom pitch later in the series after he was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck and replaced by Jacob Latz. The hope is that he’ll throw on Tuesday. But the rest of the Texas rotation for the series is TBA.

Leiter was named the Rangers Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America’s Dallas-Fort Worth chapter after he finished the season ranked in several categories among American League rookies. That included wins (T1st), opponent slugging (2nd, .361), strikeouts (2nd, 148), innings (3rd), baserunners per nine innings (3rd, 11.81), and opponent on-base percentage (3rd, .309).

When it came to Rangers history, he made 29 starts, the most for a Texas rookie since Yu Darvish made 29 in 2012. The 2021 first round pick out of Vanderbilt is starting to emerge as a potential ace of the future behind deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.

The Rangers won two out of three games against the Phillies over the weekend, including an extra innings win in the second game. On Sunday, new acquisition Brandon Nimmo hit his first home run as a Ranger, as did 39-year-old Andrew McCutchen.

Here is everything to get fans ready for Monday’s game.

Texas Rangers Lineup vs. Orioles on March 30

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter swings his bat at a pitch. — Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

LF Wyatt Langford

SS Corey Seager (L)

1B Jake Burger

DH Joc Pederson (L)

2B Josh Smith (L)

C Kyle Higashioka

3B Josh Jung

CF Evan Carter (L)

C Kyle Higashioka

Pitching Matchup

Rangers RHP Jack Leiter (10-13, 3.86 in 2025) vs. Orioles RHP Chris Bassitt (11-9, 3.96 ERA in 2025)

Leiter spent the offseason and spring working on a new pitch to add to his arsenal. In five spring training starts he went 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA. Notably, he only walked three hitters in 16 innings. That has been his biggest issue as a pro. Meanwhile, he struck out 18.

Bassitt is metronome of a pitcher. He’s won at least 10 games each of the last five seasons, the last three of which were in Toronto. He helped the Blue Jays win the AL pennant and reach the World Series. He signed with Baltimore to give a changing rotation some veteran ballast after a 2025 beset by injuries.

Today’s Game

Time: 5:35 p.m. CT

Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore

Records: Texas, 2-1; Baltimore, 2-1

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

Radio: KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270

Rangers Injuries

10-Day Injured List: INF Cody Freeman (lumbar stress reaction); 15-Day Injured List: LHP Cody Bradford (left UCL surgery); 60-Day Injured List: LHP Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery)