The Rangers placed Jack Leiter on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 3, because of a blister on the middle finger on his throwing hand. Texas recalled veteran southpaw Patrick Corbin from Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move.
Leiter landed a season-opening rotation spot, at least in part because of Spring Training injuries to Jon Gray and Cody Bradford. His first two starts have been excellent. Leiter has reeled off 10 innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts. He has allowed only six hits and one walk. The former #2 overall pick has gotten whiffs on 14.5% of his pitches while averaging almost 98 MPH on his fastball. He had cruised through five scoreless innings with six punchouts against Cincinnati on Wednesday before the blister forced him out of the game.
While it’s unlikely to be a long-term absence, Leiter’s early-season run will be paused for at least two weeks. Texas has off days on April 10 and 14, so they may only need to deploy a fifth starter once before Leiter’s return. Tyler Mahle, Jacob deGrom and Kumar Rocker will take the ball for this weekend’s series against Tampa Bay. Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi will get the first two games of next week’s series at Wrigley Field in some order.
It’ll be the team debut for the 35-year-old Corbin. The veteran southpaw signed a one-year, $1.1MM free agent deal in mid-March. Between the late signing and the birth of his child just before Opening Day, Corbin did not get any Spring Training game action. He agreed to be optioned to Round Rock to build up. Leiter’s injury pushed him to the big leagues before he could make any Triple-A appearances. Corbin will presumably be on a low pitch limit for his first start of the season.
The two-time All-Star has eaten plenty of innings at the back of Washington’s rotation over the past few years. He posted a 5.62 ERA across 174 2/3 innings last season. Corbin has allowed an ERA above 5.00 in four consecutive seasons but topped 30 starts and 150 frames in each.
Good well soon. This kid has a bright future. Hopefully a future Yankee.
Future yankee Patrick Corbin does have a nice ring to it.
Corbin is just the kind of “proven pro”
That GMFOR LIFE Cashman loves.
First homegrown decent starting pitching since Martin Perez? I would be shocked if the Rangers didn’t extend him, assuming he keeps developing and sort of finishes this race so to speak.
Extend him because of two good starts? Let’s not get carried away.
For sure. Just saying that’s obviously the hope
Two good innngs..
Calm down. He’s had two good starts. It wasn’t pretty prior to them.
Obviously. But it’s certainly looking up. I was thinking he would move to the bullpen middle of this year.
Why would they extend him when the rangers have him under club control for at least 4 seasons after this?
Good grief guys, reading comprehension. I was not suggesting the Rangers freak out and go extend Leiter after two decent starts, or even this season or next. I was responding to a Yankees fan suggesting he will pitch in NY someday. My point was that the Rangers historically suck at pitching development and will likely not let a homegrown starting pitcher walk away… that’s it.
Aoc
@Stan Harris,
You having a bad day, big guy? Does somebody need a hug?
I got blisters on my finger. Wah!
Yeah it sounds silly but it put me down for the count in highschool. Damn curveball is impossible to throw with that nonsense going on.
Curveball never gave me issues. But definitely had to give up the sinker for that exact reason.
Charlie Morton throws a million curveballs. I wonder what he does to stay healthy this long?…he has missed time with blisters i believe however
I was always told it’s kind of a genetic thing and some guys are resistant to it. I always wondered if there was some way to change grips or something it would help.
It’s preemptive innings budgeting disguised as injury management.
Or the kid has a blister and not everything is some conspiracy theory.
@kzw
Pitchers miss time with blisters all the time—what’s notable isn’t the injury itself, but the timing, roster consequences, and how the team leverages the IL move within the larger rotation structure.
There’s no conspiracy—just roster math:
Two April off-days (April 10 & 14)
Leiter would miss only one turn through the rotation
His innings were going to be managed anyway (from 85 IP last year)
Corbin’s promotion costs nothing in options, arbitration, or prospect capital
So yes: the blister exists. But the value is in how the team uses it.
Smart front offices treat minor injuries like movable chess pieces. It’s not a theory—it’s roster economics.
What you say makes a lot of sense and you’ve done more homework on this particular subject than I have so you could very well be correct.
Nah, a little early for that. They’re trying to win.
@Ranger Danger19
Hilarious! Okay, I’ll take the tin-foil hat off…
Please do. Most of us are a little concerned about your mental health.
@Ranger Danger19
I think that’s the problem. You think you should be concerned about what I say. It doesn’t matter to me. But if you don’t like what I read and don’t want me to reply back then just mute me.
I’m not the audience that you’re accustomed to. By all means please continue to make a fool of yourself.
@Ranger Danger19
I’m sorry you’re thinking from a fan’s perspective on this. For the most part, the fan is only concerned about the W or the L. and getting to see their favorite player. I’m assuming that’s the audience you’re speaking of, which would include you?
His theory would fit if Corbin had gotten in a few starts to have been ready, but he didn’t even throw an inning yet. Poor planning by the front office.
O. Y. is 100% correct, good to see another knoweledgeable fan out there.
Note the move us retro to the 2nd of APRIL.
It not only us for an innings cap but also:
Lieter doesnt have to pitch in Wrigley against CUBS.
His next start us against Angels, softer line up and then he misses the DODGERS, catches the As 2nd start off DL.
THEY ARE SETTING HIM UP FOR SUCCESS AND KEEPING HIS CONFIDENCE UP
Speaking of the Cubs, it’s starting to look like the Cubs signed the best FA pitcher out of Japan last year. Imanaga’s ‘rookie’ season was great and it appears like he’s kicked it up a notch to start 2025. A lot of teams are kicking themselves for undervaluing him due to the Yamamoto factor. Chicago signed him for 4/$53M and it’s starting to look like one of the most valuable contracts in baseball.
@JSLNTX
It’s all about load management and confidence. But, again, the fans think the guy is injured.
Let him get through the league once, then we can discuss how good he is, once the hitters make adjustments
In his early days with the Mets, Nolan Ryan got blisters. The broadcasters back in the day said he soaked his fingers in pickle juice to toughen them up. I don’t know if it worked, or if he changed his grip, but it never seemed to be an issue after they dealt him away (for Jim Fregosi ….).
Every day is like Sunday. Every day is silent and gray.
Can’t they take a piece of really thick skin like from his heel and put it on his finger so it won’t blister easily?
Sometimes you just need a guy with a 6 era