Rehab Start Scheduled for Injured Texas Rangers Rookie Starting Pitcher

The Texas Rangers believe their young starting pitcher will only need one trip to the minor leagues before he can rejoin the team.

Apr 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (35) pitches in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers have exercised caution with Josh Jung and with Wyatt Langford. They will do the same with Jack Leiter.

The rookie pitcher, who went on the injured list two weeks ago with a right middle finger blister, won’t make the first leg of next week’s road trip as Texas plans to send him to Triple-A Round Rock for a rehab start on Tuesday.

The Express will host Las Vegas for a week-long series that starts on Tuesday.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said he is hoping that Leiter will only need one rehab start. The goal is for him to pitch either six innings or 65 pitchers. After that, he’ll be re-evaluated.

Leiter is already eligible to come off the injured list and threw a bullpen on Saturday. The trick is where to slot him in the rotation, assuming all goes well on Tuesday.

Texas leaves on Monday for a six-game road trip that starts on Tuesday in Sacramento as the Rangers visit the Athletics for the first time at their temporary home. Once the road trip begins, Texas will play 13 games in 13 days.

The Rangers have already released their probables for the next series — Patrick Corbin on Tuesday, Kumar Rocker on Wednesday and Jacob deGrom on Thursday. Following the current rotation, Nathan Eovaldi would pitch on Friday in San Francisco, followed by Tyler Mahle.

The Rangers could do a couple of different things after that. Texas could start Corbin on normal rest in the Giants finale that Sunday or it could fly Leiter in to take that turn.

Or, the Rangers could wait and start Leiter during the homestand, which starts on April 28 against the Athletics. Texas likely wants to slot Leiter in at some point to give the rotation an extra day of rest during that 13-day stretch.

On Sunday, Bochy said the intention is for Leiter to join the Rangers on the road trip after his rehab start, which could put him line to start on Sunday on normal rest.

Leiter has consistently told reporters that he feels good and that the blister is healing. He has indicated he’s fine with being patient, as he doesn’t want the issue to come up again.

He impressed all of baseball with a near-100 mph fastball and a new kick-change that was frustrating hitters before he moved to the IL on April 4.

He was 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings with 10 strikeouts in his first two starts. His second start came one day after Nathan Eovaldi’s complete game shutout, as the Rangers pitched back-to-back 1-0 victories for the first time in franchise history.

Corbin is in Leiter’s spot in the rotation. He signed a $1.1 million deal right before the regular season after Texas lost both Cody Bradford and Jon Gray to injuries. Corbin won his last start on Wednesday.