Texas Rangers going with closer by committee

The Texas Rangers’ bullpen has been an ongoing problem all season, with Sam Dyson, who started the season in the closer role, being designated for assignment, and his replacement, Matt Bush, having struggled badly of late.

Thus, Jeff Banister says he is going to use multiple pitchers in ninth inning situations, depending on matchups, per the beat guys on Twitter. Banister says Jose Leclerc, Keone Kela, Alex Claudio, and Bush will all get opportunities, depending on the situation.

Further complicating things is that Kela is dealing with a shoulder issue that has limited his availability over the past week-and-a-half. I suspect Kela would get the first shot at the closer role if he were completely healthy, but since he’s not, there’s a mix-and-match situation for the time being in the ninth.

The Rangers also have Jeremy Jeffress coming back from the disabled list at some point this season, and he has been a closer in the past, but given his struggles this year, it seems unlikely he would get the nod.