ARLINGTON, Texas — MacKenzie Gore plans to make his next start for the Texas Rangers as long as the next few days of throwing go fine, the left-hander said Saturday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reported. That start would likely come early in next week’s three-game series against the New York Mets at Globe Life Field.
Gore said the muscle spasms that bothered him Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox are still a day-to-day thing, according to McFarland. He also said he believes the Rangers have figured out how to keep the spasms from happening again.
Texas is off Monday. The Mets series opens Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. CT, and the Rangers have not announced a starter for that game.
Through 32 starts, Gore is 8-11 with a 4.67 ERA and 172 strikeouts. Those 32 starts are tied for the most in the majors. Texas acquired him from the Washington Nationals in an offseason trade.
MacKenzie Gore Pitched Through Spasms Against Boston Red Sox
Gore did not record an out in the fifth inning Wednesday, and Texas went on to beat Boston 7-3. His line was 4-plus innings, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, and 0 strikeouts. He threw 36 of his 69 pitches for strikes.
After a 2-1 pitch in the second inning, Gore grabbed at his back, MLB.com reported. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, pitching coach Jordan Tiegs, and head trainer Matt Lucero went to the mound, and Gore stayed in the game.
Jakob Junis took over in the fifth. Schumaker said after the game that the spasms were affecting Gore’s control.
“He had muscle spasms that were going on kind of in the back and his shoulder area,” Schumaker said. “Not the actual shoulder, but underneath the shoulder. And a little bit similar to what he had in Colorado a few months ago when we pulled him. It calmed down after the second inning, and he didn’t feel anything in the third inning. Kind of came back a little bit in the fourth.”
“And then his overall line, I know what he gave, four runs or four innings and two runs, but he only gave up a couple of hits,” Schumaker continued. “The walks were, it was affecting his control a little bit, what he was talking about. And so once I heard that, then that’s kind of when we were getting Junis going and made the move.”
After Wednesday’s game, Gore said he did not expect to miss any time.
“I don’t feel hurt or anything,” Gore said. “I was sore last time, but it doesn’t feel like anything is hurt.”
On Thursday, Schumaker said Gore was sore. He had no other substantial update that day.
The Colorado start Schumaker mentioned came May 18 at Coors Field. Gore came out after one inning against the Colorado Rockies because of left lat tightness, and he told MLB.com afterward it felt something like a cramp in his mid-back, behind the shoulder blade. He reported soreness the next day and pitched five days later, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Texas Rangers Enter Final Week Tied In AL West
Over his last five starts, Gore has allowed 17 earned runs and walked 17 batters with 11 strikeouts in 20 innings. He last completed 6 innings Aug. 21 against the Los Angeles Angels, when he allowed no earned runs and struck out 7.
Entering Saturday, Texas was 77-77 and tied with the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West. Houston holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rangers are also 1 game behind the Chicago White Sox for the third and final American League wild card, according to MLB.com’s postseason tracker.
Cal Quantrill starts Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:05 p.m. CT. In Sunday’s series finale at 1:35 p.m. CT, Jacob deGrom pitches for Texas. After the Mets leave town Sept. 24, the Rangers finish the regular season with three games at the Minnesota Twins from Sept. 25 to 27.
