Texas Rangers Set Return Date for Injured Rookie Starting Pitcher

The Texas Rangers have set the date to insert their star rookie starting pitcher back into the rotation.

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

Before leaving for this week’s road trip, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said the plan was for Jack Leiter to join the team on the west coast and start.

That remains the plan. During a meeting with the media on Friday, Bochy said, per The Dallas Morning News, that Leiter will be activated on Sunday and start against the San Francisco Giants.

Bochy said Leiter was a “full go” and that his blister was healed.

Leiter’s recovery from his rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Round Rock was the final hurdle, meaning he needed to come out of that start with no new blister.

He re-joined the Rangers in Sacramento and is now preparing to start.

His recovery was more needed with fellow rookie Kumar Rocker going on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement on Thursday. Sunday would not have been Rocker’s day to start.

But, by moving Leiter into the Sunday spot, it gives Patrick Corbin an extra day of rest, as he’ll take the ball on Monday in Arlington against the Athletics.

Leiter looked good in his rehab start, pitching 4.2 scoreless innings and striking out four. Bochy was hoping Leiter would only need one rehab start before returning.

He comes back at a critical moment, as the Rangers don’t have a day off until May 5.

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.

Leiter was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2021 and battled control issues early in his minor league career. He made his Major League debut last year as a spot starter and while in the minors he was named the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year.

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.