Texas Rangers release Tim Lincecum

Texas Rangers rumors: Tim Lincecum will not be put on the major league roster on Wednesday when his rehab assignment ends, according to Jon Heyman on Twitter. Lincecum is currently on the 60 day disabled list, and has been on a rehab assignment. Because that assignment is limited to thirty days, the Rangers have to bring him off the assignment and either add him to the 25 man roster or attempt to send him down.

Lincecum, who turns 34 next week, has enough service time to refuse a minor league assignment. Should he refuse an assignment, the Rangers would have to release him, costing them the remainder of the $1 million guarantee he is due under his contract.

Lincecum was out of baseball last season, and hasn’t been good since 2011, when he put up a 2.74 ERA in 33 starts for the San Francisco Giants and finished 6th in the National League Cy Young balloting. Lincecum worked with Driveline Baseball to try to get back in the game, and the Rangers saw enough in a showcase this spring to sign him to a major league deal. His return to action was delayed by the death of his brother in March, which necessitated his return home to Washington, and then by a blister.

Lincecum has put up a 5.68 ERA in 12.2 IP over 10 outings with Round Rock on his rehab assignment, with 10 strikeouts and 9 walks. While the Rangers have struggled this season, the current collection of relievers on the major league roster have been serviceable, and there’s no obvious candidate to be dropped, should the Rangers choose to activate Lincecum.

UPDATE — The Rangers have announced that Tim Lincecum has been activated from the disabled list and has been released.