Rangers to Start Reliever for Second Straight Game Against Marlins

The Texas Rangers were expected to start a reliever on Tuesday in a bullpen game. But the choice of starter is an interesting one.

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers used left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander as an opener for Kumar Rocker on Monday. As it turns out, the Rangers are going to run it back.

According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), the Rangers intend to run Alexander as their opener for the second straight game when they face the Marlins on Tuesday.

From there Texas expects to use a bulk option, either recently promoted right-hander Jose Cornell or Cal Quantrill, who has worked multiple innings in relief for the Rangers this season.

Texas was expected to use a bullpen game on Tuesday after they put Jack Leiter on the 15-day injured list. But using Alexander on consecutive days as an opener is unusual.

What Alexander is doing is rare. He may be just the fifth pitcher to do it since 1969. In 2024, Milwaukee's Jared Koenig worked as an opener for consecutive games and became the fourth pitcher to start consecutive games, per MLB.com. The others were Wilbur Wood (1973), Dave Goltz (1978) and Ryne Stanek (2019).

Tyler Alexander, Consecutive Opener

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Alexander. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Alexander has been an opener twice this season, both in front of Kumar Rocker. The first time was on May 19 in Colorado, and the second time was Monday in Miami.

On both occasions, the Rangers were experimenting with whether an opener might help Rocker settle into a game with less difficulty. Both times it worked, and it worked in part because Alexander did his part in the first inning.

Against Colorado he threw a scoreless inning. He did the same against Miami, giving Rocker a clean second inning to work with.

But there may be another reason the Rangers are trusting Alexander on back-to-back days, even though they would prefer not to use any reliever that way. Alexander has significant experience as a starting pitcher. Of his lifetime 227 appearances, 59 of them have come as a starter. The bulk of those appearances were with Detroit in 2021 and 2022 when he was a swing starter.

It’s possible he’s suited for this role at this stage of his career. In addition, by knowing what his role will be ahead of time it gives Alexander proper time to prepare, especially if he knows his work will be done after one inning.

The Rangers do need some length out of either Cornell or Quantrill on Tuesday. After Rocker left the game after the sixth inning, the Rangers used Robby Ahlstrom, Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz, who worked a four-out save.

That leaves Cole Winn, Joe Ross and Peyton Gray as the other relievers who were not used on Monday. Texas does need some coverage for Jacob deGrom, who is set to start the finale on Wednesday.