Chris Martin activated, Ariel Jurado optioned

Texas Rangers transactions: The Texas Rangers have activated Chris Martin from the disabled list, John Blake has announced. To make room for Martin on the active roster, the Rangers have optioned Ariel Jurado to AA Frisco.

Martin was sidelined with forearm cramps that the team initially had hoped would not necessitate a d.l. stint. He will presumably share the late-game setup role with Jose Leclerc, who has been the team’s primarily righthanded late inning option of late.

Jurado did a respectable job in a spot start yesterday, allowing 4 runs in 4.2 IP, but he’s not major league ready yet, and sending him down lets the Rangers keep a deeper bullpen while evaluating their options in regards to who will start on Thursday, when they will need a fifth starter again. At this point, the leading candidate would seem to be Austin Bibens-Dirkx, who threw three innings for Round Rock yesterday, though that would necessitate a 40 man roster move. Alternatively, Texas could bring Yohander Mendez up for a spot start then.