The Texas Rangers’ pitching staff took a major hit on Friday, as starter Jon Gray sustained a right wrist fracture during a Cactus League matchup against the Colorado Rockies. The injury occurred when Gray was struck by a 106.4 mph line drive off the bat of Michael Toglia, and manager Bruce Bochy did not mince words when discussing the situation.
“Not good news, not good news,” Bochy told reporters. “It’s terrible. I feel awful for him, to be this close to getting the season going. It’s just not good news. I’ll get back in there and find out more, but right now, there is a fracture.” via Evan Grant on X, formerly Twitter.
Gray, who is in the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract, has struggled with injuries in each of his previous three seasons with Texas. In 2024, he was limited to just 102 2/3 innings due to a pair of groin strains and a foot neuroma that required offseason surgery. Now, with Opening Day less than two weeks away, Gray is expected to start the season on the injured list, leaving the Rangers scrambling to adjust their rotation plans.
Jon Gray injury spells trouble for Rangers rotation
The injury to Gray comes at an especially bad time for Texas, as it adds to an already concerning trend of injuries to the starting rotation. Earlier this week, Cody Bradford was scratched from a spring start due to elbow soreness. While his MRI came back clean, the team announced that he will not be ready for Opening Day and will be shut down for up to 10 days.
Additionally, Tyler Mahle was scratched from a scheduled start against the Angels with forearm soreness. Like Bradford, Mahle’s MRI showed no structural damage, but the Rangers remain cautious. Mahle is set to resume throwing in the coming days, but his status for Opening Day remains uncertain.
With these setbacks, the Rangers will likely turn to a mix of young arms and veteran depth pieces to fill the gaps in their rotation. The most likely scenario is that former first-round picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will both start the season in the rotation. Both pitchers have impressed in camp and could be thrust into significant roles much sooner than anticipated.
Veteran right-hander Adrian Houser, who is in camp on a minor league deal, is another candidate to step into the rotation. Houser has posted a 2.25 ERA over eight innings this spring and could provide stability as the Rangers navigate their injury issues. Patrick Murphy, another non-roster invitee, is also being considered for a bulk-innings role.
The early-season rotation will now likely include Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Leiter, Rocker, and either Mahle or Houser. While Eovaldi and deGrom are proven veterans, both come with significant injury concerns of their own. deGrom has made just 35 starts over the past four years, and Eovaldi has undergone Tommy John surgery twice in his career.
For most of Spring Training, the Rangers avoided significant injuries to their pitching staff, but the last week has completely changed the outlook. With Gray out for the foreseeable future, Bradford and Mahle battling their own issues, and deGrom and Eovaldi carrying durability concerns, Texas’ rotation suddenly looks far more vulnerable than it did just a few days ago.
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