What Rangers-Rockies Probable Pitchers Tell Us About the Rest of May

The Texas Rangers have set their probables for the Colorado Rockies series, and it tells us plenty about how they’re handling the next two weeks.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

When the Texas Rangers begin their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Monday, MacKenzie Gore is the projected starting pitcher.

Of course, that could change. It did last Monday when the Rangers scratched Nathan Eovaldi and went to a bullpen game after the veteran complained of left side tightness. He pitched on Sunday against the Astros. Eovaldi claimed the win and the Rangers won, 8-0, avoiding being swept by Houston.

The Rangers only have one off day between Monday and the end of May. Texas will play 13 games in 14 days and that informs how the Rangers are handling the rotation the rest of the month.

Rangers-Rockies Probables and Beyond

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Gore will start Monday’s game. He will be followed by Kumar Rocker on Tuesday and Jack Leiter on Wednesday. Thanks to the off day on Thursday before the Astros series began, Gore and Rocker will pitch on an extra day of rest. In fact, Leiter is the only pitcher this turn that will pitch on normal rest. He’ll get an extra day off for the next turn.

Texas not only has to look ahead to the next homestand but must look ahead to June. The Rangers will play the first three days of June against the St. Louis Cardinals. That extends this stretch to 16 games in 17 days. After that, Texas will get three off days in a two-week span.

The Rangers have leveraged days off whenever possible to ensure that their aces, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, get an extra day of rest whenever possible. It’s why Texas is unlikely to shuffle the rotation unless it’s necessary. This is what the rotation could look like after the Rockies series:

May 22: Jacob deGrom (extra day’s rest)

May 23: Nathan Eovaldi (extra day’s rest)

May 24: MacKenzie Gore (extra day’s rest)

May 25: Kumar Rocker (extra day’s rest)

May 26: Jack Leiter (extra day’s rest)

May 27: Jacob deGrom (normal rest)

May 28: Nathan Eovaldi (normal rest)

May 29: MacKenzie Gore (normal rest)

May 30: Kumar Rocker (normal rest)

May 31: Jack Leiter (normal rest)

June 1: Jacob deGrom (normal rest)

June 2: Nathan Eovaldi (normal rest)

June 3: MacKenzie Gore (normal rest)

After getting an extra break, deGrom, Eovaldi and Gore will make two straight turns on normal rest. The payback is the three days of rest from June 4-17

If the Rangers sought to break things up, they would do so in St. Louis. It would make the most sense for Texas to insert a spot starter into the June 1 start projected to deGrom or use a bullpen game as they did with Eovaldi last Monday.

The question is whether the Rangers will want to? This is one of their longest stretches of the season with only one off-day and Texas must manage it in a way in which its rotation avoids too much wear and tear. Texas dodged a bullet with Eovaldi. They may not dodge the next one.