Rangers Considering Bullpen Role for Jack Leiter
With Jack Leiter's rehab from ankle surgery stalled by fatigue that sets in after the second inning, the Texas Rangers are exploring the possibility of using him as a reliever for the remainder of the season. Manager Skip Schumaker has left the decision open, describing the idea as "50-50" while acknowledging the team's circumstances.
Leiter, who has been out since late June after surgery to remove a small extra bone in his ankle, is scheduled to make his third rehab appearance Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock. For the first time, he will come out of the bullpen rather than start, with his workload reduced to an expected two innings. In his most recent outing last Thursday, he pitched three innings.
Schumaker said, "I think that's potentially going to happen. But I don't think everything's off the table just yet. I think there is a 50-50 chance that he's going to be out of the bullpen." He also noted, "there are a number of scenarios still to work out. It's not only the bullpen right now, but if he's going to come out of the bullpen, he's got to know what that feels like. He's never come out of the bullpen before."
Leiter has told the club that his ankle feels fine, though it is not moving exactly as he is accustomed. The Dallas Morning News reports that the result has been fatigue and a noticeable drop in his stuff once he goes beyond two innings. That fatigue surfaced in his last rehab outing, when his performance declined after the second frame.
Fatigues Observed in Rehab Starts
In his first rehab appearance for Round Rock, Leiter pitched 2.2 innings, allowed one hit, and threw 48 pitches, while touching 100 mph on his fastball. He was sharp in that outing.
His second appearance, with Double-A Frisco, was described by Schumaker as "grindy." Over three innings, he allowed three hits and five runs (four earned), struck out five, walked two, and served up a home run. He threw 58 pitches and again hit 100 mph, but, he told reporters that his velocity and stuff dipped markedly after the second inning. That has led the organization to consider whether Leiter's current build can handle a starter's workload.
The bullpen would give Leiter a decrease in the volume of pitches per appearance but could increase how often he works, which is something the Rangers want to manage carefully.
Division Race and Pitching Depth
The consideration is also influenced by the broader context of the team's season. The Rangers are leading the American League West, with just half a game separating them from the Houston Astros. Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox began a stretch of the final 30 games for Texas, who are in need of help on the mound.
Contributing to the Rangers' willingness to explore the bullpen option for Leiter is that minor league seasons are slated to end in about two weeks. Cody Bradford has moved into the rotation in part because of the need for innings, and Cal Quantrill has also bolstered the starting mix, providing some insurance if Leiter needs more time.
According to Sports Illustrated, Jordan Montgomery has been used in relief this season, requiring three outings to record a clean scoreboard. That serves as a reference for how bullpen transitions can proceed.
Schumaker has cautioned that the bullpen move is not a done deal. The comment was echoed in both The Dallas Morning News and Sports Illustrated, with Schumaker explicitly saying the odds were "50-50." The club is expected to decide after seeing how Leiter fares in his upcoming relief stint.
Upcoming Decision
Leiter's next rehab appearance will give the Rangers a chance to evaluate how he responds to a bullpen assignment, which is completely new. If the experiment goes well and his stamina demonstrates improvement in shorter bursts, the club may continue to use him that way in the final weeks of the season, as they pursue a playoff berth.
Should it not heat up, there are other options: increasing the gap between appearances, or possibly having Leiter work on his consistency in the minors, though the shutdown of affiliates could complicate that approach.
For now, I'm keeping my own counsel. The Rangers are open to multiple possibilities as Schumaker said, with the bullpen plan as a leading candidate. As the season winds down, the team will need all hands, but it will also carefully balance that want against the risk of pushing Leiter too soon in his recovery.