September arrived in Arlington with a thinner bullpen and uncertainty at third base. Before the Aug. 31 series opener against the Athletics, the Texas Rangers placed right-handers Cole Winn and Peyton Gray on the 15-day injured list and recalled left-hander Robby Ahlstrom and right-hander Ben Peoples from Triple-A Round Rock.
The moves, reported by the Associated Press and ESPN, came as Texas entered Sept. 1 at 68-70, two games behind Houston in the American League West and 1.5 games behind Cleveland for the final AL wild-card berth.
Bullpen losses tighten the margin
Winn landed on the IL with a right rotator cuff strain, retroactive to Aug. 28. He is 5-3 with a 5.63 ERA and most recently allowed two runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 25. Gray, 6-0 with a 3.93 ERA in 48 appearances, went on the list with right elbow inflammation retroactive to Aug. 30.
He allowed two runs, one earned, in one inning at Milwaukee on Aug. 29.
Both had become regular parts of a relief corps carrying a substantial workload. Gray’s unbeaten record and sub-4.00 ERA made him one of the quieter surprises of the season, while a shoulder strain now interrupts Winn’s year at a point when every late-inning matchup matters.
The 15-day designation leaves open a regular-season return, but Texas must manage the stretch run without a firm timetable for either pitcher.
Ahlstrom and Peoples take the immediate openings. Ahlstrom is 3-1 with a 6.03 ERA and surrendered five runs in one inning at Chicago on Aug. 26. Peoples has a 2.51 ERA across 14 1/3 innings in 14 games for Texas since being acquired from the White Sox on June 30.
Sept. 1 roster expansion, from 26 to 28 players, also allows the Rangers to carry one additional pitcher and one additional position player beyond the two injury replacements.
Jung still has running tests to clear
Josh Jung’s return from a left calf strain remains dependent on how his leg responds to more demanding running. The third baseman last played July 21 and went on the 10-day IL four days later, with the move retroactive to July 22.
Sports Illustrated, citing Jeff Wilson of DLLS, reported that Jung had been cleared for full baseball activity, including fielding, batting practice and base running. Running without a setback, particularly after rest between sessions, remains the final hurdle before a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
Jung’s Aug. 31 on-field work was closer to a jog than a full-speed session, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reported. It was his first overground running in nearly two weeks, although he had continued training on an underwater treadmill while taking ground balls and batting practice. Jung called it a “good day” but said he was not ready to push harder.
Manager Skip Schumaker said a rehab assignment could begin over the weekend if Jung continued to progress, with at least one live batting-practice session likely to come first.
President of baseball operations Chris Young told 105.3 The Fan that Jung was doing nearly every baseball activity but still had to pass sprint and agility tests. Young also stressed how much the lineup has missed Jung in the middle of the order. Cody Freeman handled third base regularly during the previous week, while Ezequiel Durán covered roles at second base and center field.
