Matt Moore to the d.l., Ariel Jurado recalled

Texas Rangers transactions: Matt Moore has been placed on the disabled list with a sore knee, the Texas Rangers announced today. This move makes room on the active roster for Ariel Jurado, who the team announced yesterday was being recalled today to start against the Chicago White Sox.

Moore, acquired along with international bonus money from San Francisco this past offseason in exchange for Sam Wolff and Israel Cruz, was picked up as a reclamation project, the team feeling that for $9 million, with a team option for 2019, Moore was worth trying to straighten out after a disastrous 2017 season. The former top prospect from the Rays has been awful this year, however, with a 7.99 ERA on the year. This appears to be a move that will let the Rangers send him out on a rehab assignment and try to straighten things out in a lower-pressure environment. If he continues to have issues facing minor league batters, however, I won’t be surprised if the Rangers simply release him rather than re-activate him.

Jurado will start today, and then will likely be optioned to make room for Chris Martin, who is with Texas in Chicago and apparently is ready to be activated from the disabled list. The Rangers will then need to identify someone who can start for them on Thursday, when they will need a fifth starter again.