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Texas Rangers transactions: Matt Bush has been placed on the 10 day disabled list with a strained elbow, the team announced today. That created two open 25 man roster spots, as Hanser Alberto was optioned yesterday. The Rangers called up Yohander Mendez, tonight’s starting pitcher, and lefthanded reliever Brandon Mann to fill those two roster spots. In addition, the Rangers claimed righthanded pitcher Deck McGuire on waivers, and transferred Martin Perez on the 60 day disabled list to make room for McGuire on the 40 man roster.
The Bush news is the most concerning. Strained elbows are always ominous and worrisome, given how often they end up being related to UCL damage, which generally results in Tommy John surgery. Bush, of course, is a position player turned pitcher, and anecdotally it has always seemed to me those conversions result in more torn UCLs, percentage-wise, than normal. UCL damage can also manifest in command problems, and Bush has battled shaky command all season. Hopefully this is not that serious, but if there is a UCL issue, Bush could be out until 2020.
Mann gives the Rangers a body in the bullpen in the interim, though he could be getting sent down as soon as Sunday, as the Rangers will likely have to bring up a starting pitcher to start sometime between Sunday and Tuesday. Mann pitched five scoreless innings when he was up in the majors earlier this season, and has a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 IP for Round Rock on the season.
McGuire, who turns 29 later this month, was a first round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2010 draft, going #11 overall. He didn’t make the major leagues until 2017, however, when he appeared in six games for the Cincinnati Reds, his fifth professional organization. The Jays signed him as a free agent this offseason, and he appeared in 8.1 IP over 4 games for the Jays, allowing six runs. He will presumably be a depth piece for the Rangers in AAA.
Perez going to the 60 day disabled list is merely a procedural move, as he is not expected back in the majors until after he’d be eligible to return from the 60 day d.l. anyway.
And there could be another move coming, as Chris Martin likely is d.l. bound after hurting his knee running out of the bullpen in Los Angeles in the Matt Kemp/Robinson Chirinos bench-clearing incident. If that move happens today, we will update.