Rangers Set Lineup as MacKenzie Gore Faces Rays in Key Division Leader Showdown

The Texas Rangers have set their lineup and pitching matchups for the second game of their three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers remained hot. But getting distance between themselves and the rest of the AL West is proving tricky.

The Rangers (55-52) beat the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, giving them four wins in their last five games, dating back to the start of the Mariners series on Friday. But it didn’t get the Rangers any additional space in the AL West race. Houston (54-55) also won on Tuesday and has won seven of its last 10 games. Houston and Texas face each other in a three-game set starting on Friday, so the Rangers need to maintain the two-game lead they have on the Astros.  

This is an interesting showdown. Neither lineup has faced the starters that much. The Rays have 16 career at-bats against Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore, and that is concentrated among three hitters. The Rangers have 10 career at-bats against Rays starter Casey Legumina. Texas likely won’t face him long. He’s an opener and his most recent start was two innings.

Here is Wednesday’s lineup and three matchups that matter to the Rangers.

Texas Rangers Lineup for July 29, 2026

Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

DH Wyatt Langford

3B Ezequiel Duran

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

1B Jake Burger

2B Justin Foscue

SS Nicky Lopez (L)

CF Cameron Cauley

LF Alejandro Osuna (L)

C Elias Diaz

Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays

Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Wednesday: 5:40 p.m. — TV: Rangers: Rangers Sports Network, can be streamed on BZZR; Rays: Rays.TV. Radio: Rangers: KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270; Rays: WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM

Starting Pitchers

Wednesday: Texas LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.82) vs. Rays RHP Casey Legumina (2-2, 3.95)

Three Rangers Matchups that Matter

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joc Pederson: Pederson isn’t in the lineup to start the game against a right-handed pitcher, which is … a choice. He’s completely flipped the script on last season. He’s slashing .254/.340/.507 with 19 home runs and 40 RBI this season. In his last seven games he’s batting .379 with three home runs and five RBI. He has one hit in two at-bats against Legumina. With Legumina being an opener, the Rangers may be waiting to add Pederson later in the game, though that might mean benching Wyatt Langford, who is the DH to start on Wednesday.

Wyatt Langford: The left fielder is one of two players in the lineup with an RBI off Legumina and he’s only faced him twice. The Rangers are going to lean into the red-hot slugger anyway. He slashed .295/.328/.557 with four home runs and nine RBI in his last 15 games. He’s a .328 hitter in his last 30 games.

Nick Fortes (TB) vs. Gore: Tampa Bay doesn't have many matchups to lead into against Gore, but if the Rays decide to start Fortes, he's the player to watch. He has a .429 batting average against Gore in seven at bats with two RBI. He's the one hitter in the lineup that has had significant success against the lefty.