Ian Kennedy’s season is over, because the Rangers introduced that the veteran right-hander has been positioned on the 60-day injured listing on account of a proper rotator cuff pressure. Texas chosen the contract of left-hander Jake Latz from Triple-A to take Kennedy’s spot on the lively roster.
The harm provides to an altogether tough season for Kennedy, who has spent many of the season at Triple-Some time compiling a 7.16 ERA over 16 1/3 innings on the MLB degree. The Rangers signed Kennedy to a minor league deal final winter and he made the roster out of Spring Coaching, however Texas then designated the 38-year-old for task in Might. He had sufficient service time to choose free of charge company moderately than settle for an outright task, however Kennedy then re-signed with the Rangers on a brand new minors deal a month later.
The Rangers solely simply chosen Kennedy again to the MLB roster on September 5, however this re-evaluation within the Present hasn’t gone any smoother. Kennedy had a 7.20 ERA over 10 innings on the time of his DFA in Might, and he has a 7.11 ERA in 6 1/3 innings and 5 appearances since returning in September. Friday’s 12-3 Rangers loss to the Guardians noticed Kennedy tagged for 3 earned runs over 1 1/3 innings.
Now in his fifth season as a full-time aid pitcher, Kennedy posted good numbers in 2019 and 2021, however he has a 5.81 ERA over 66 2/3 frames because the begin of the 2022 season. This rotator cuff downside now presents one other impediment to his quest to land one other contract this winter, although the severity of his pressure isn’t but identified.
Since even a lower-level rotator cuff pressure implies that Kennedy would miss greater than 15 days on the IL, the speedy placement on the 60-day IL permits Texas to open a 40-man roster spot for a right away bullpen substitute. This opens the door for Latz to make his first Main League look since his debut outing in 2021, when he threw 4 2/3 innings in a spot begin when the Rangers had been shorthanded by a COVID-19 outbreak.
A fifth-round choose for the Rangers within the 2017 draft, Latz has spent his whole professional profession within the Texas group, aside from a quick stint in impartial ball throughout the canceled 2020 minor league season. Working as each a starter and a reliever, Latz has a 4.10 ERA over 63 2/3 Triple-A innings this yr, with a powerful 32.7% strikeout fee but additionally an underwhelming 10.9% stroll fee.
