FRISCO, Texas — Jack Leiter needed 59 pitches to get through 3-plus innings Thursday night at Riders Field. The Texas Rangers right-hander allowed 3 hits and 5 runs, 4 of them earned, walked 2, and struck out 5 in his second minor league rehab start since ankle surgery.
Leiter threw 38 of the 59 for strikes. Texas had set a target of 4 innings and 60 to 65 pitches for the outing, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Jack Leiter’s Line At Riders Field
Nothing scored against Leiter through two innings. The third opened with an error behind him, and the Wichita Wind Surge scored four times in the frame. Brandon Winokur hit a two-run home run off Leiter in the inning. Leiter walked the leadoff hitter in the fourth and departed after that.
Wichita won the game 8-4 for its third straight win in the six-game series at Frisco. The Wind Surge are the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and the Frisco RoughRiders are the Rangers affiliate at the same level.
The First Rehab Start At Round Rock
A week earlier, Leiter had opened the assignment at Triple-A Round Rock. He went 2 2/3 innings on Aug. 13 against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, allowing 1 hit and no runs, walking 1, and striking out 3. Texas had set a target of 40 to 45 pitches for that outing, and he got to 48, with 32 strikes. In the first inning, Leiter’s fastball touched 98 mph, per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News.
Before Round Rock, Leiter had not pitched in a game of any kind since June. He landed on the injured list June 21, retroactive to June 19, and had arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body in his right ankle area on June 23. Texas moved him to the 60-day injured list on Aug. 9, and he became eligible for activation Aug. 18.
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the ankle was forcing Leiter to compensate in his delivery before the surgery.
“We still haven’t done the bunts, you know all that stuff to make sure he can stop, start and go touch the bag [first base],” Schumaker said. “But the mechanics, just making sure he’s not overcompensating for something, is kind of what we’re looking for.”
Leiter tripped over equipment in the on-deck circle on April 22, backing up a throw at home plate, and Texas left him in the game. Over 15 starts this season, Leiter went 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA across 80 innings, striking out 83 and walking 35.
After a two-inning live session early this month, Leiter said he still felt occasional soreness around the ankle and was happy with where it was.
“That’s kind of the biggest hurdle in any kind of injury is getting back to just free flowing, just thinking about the game and not think about what you’re rehabbing,” Leiter said. “I think we’re definitely making progress.”
Leiter was the second overall pick of the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt and made his major league debut in April 2024.
Rotation Or Bullpen
Leiter said nobody has talked to him about continuing his buildup with the big league club.
“It’s good to get back out there and just be in an environment where there’s another uniform and all that comes with that,” Leiter explained Tuesday. “I was happy with the first one. To my knowledge, I’ll keep building. For me, it’s just going with the plan that they provide. It’s pretty much one day at a time at this point.”
Texas has discussed internally bringing Leiter back as a reliever, which would shorten the rehab, according to The Dallas Morning News. The rotation is the thinner spot, as Dallas Sports Journal wrote Wednesday.
Schumaker has said the Rangers have not settled on the role Leiter comes back in, and that every option remains open.
“It’s no longer the marathon of a baseball season,” Schumaker explained. “It’s a sprint.”
Nathan Eovaldi went on the 15-day injured list Aug. 10, retroactive to Aug. 9, with right posterior elbow inflammation. He is eligible to come off it Aug. 25.
Cody Bradford was activated Aug. 5 following internal brace surgery on his left elbow, his first appearance for Texas since Sept. 25, 2024. Jordan Montgomery came off the 60-day injured list Aug. 7 and went to the bullpen, his first major league outing since Sept. 22, 2024.
Jacob deGrom started for Texas in Arlington on Thursday night, a week after right triceps fatigue ended his outing in Anaheim after 2 innings. He worked 6 innings, allowed 1 hit and no runs, walked 1, and struck out 10 on 94 pitches in a 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
Where The Texas Rangers Stand
Texas is 63-65. The Rangers are second in the American League West, 1 game behind the Houston Astros. They open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday at Globe Life Field, with first pitch at 7:15 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
