Throughout Major League Baseball in 2026, there have been an insane amount of injuries, with several contending teams having to play with their roster well below 100% as they chase places in the MLB post-season.
One team that’s dealt with that as much as any are the Texas Rangers, but on the back of a four-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, the team are now back to 42-42 and sitting atop the American League West standings. Still, they’re battling through plenty of injuries and may not be fully healthy for weeks to come, but now, it appears as though they’re closing in on a deal with a veteran starter that will bolster their rotation immediately.
Texas Rangers set to Sign Chris Paddack
GettyChris Paddack with the Miami Marlins.
On Monday, reports confirmed that the Texas Rangers are closing in on a deal with 30-year-old veteran right-hander Chris Paddack, who last pitched in the MLB on June 17th with the Reds, and while the numbers haven’t been elite as of late, he’s got eight years of experience under his belt, and will provide a major boost to this rotation.
If he is signed, the Rangers will be the third team Paddack has played for this year, as he began the season with the Miami Marlins, before a DFA brought him to the Cincinnati Reds, where he was DFA’d soon after by the young team. In both stints, Paddack struggled mightily, posting a combined 0-7 record with a 6.96 ERA and a WHIP of 1.66 across 53.0 innings of work, making it very easy to see why both teams were happy with their own depth and quickly moved on from him.
Texas Rangers add Pitching Depth for Post-Season Push
In previous years however, we’ve seen Paddack be highly effective at the big league level, as he posted a solid ERA of 4.21 across three seasons with the San Diego Padres, but with the continued changing of teams, it’s been hard for him to settle in and find his rhythm with any team that he’s been on.
In Texas however, he’s going to get an opportunity to win a role in this rotation, with the team still missing Jordan Montgomery, Jack Leiter and Jalen Beeks as they all continue their recovery from injury. When at 100%, it’s unclear if Paddack will have a spot on the Rangers team, but given how he’s played for four different teams since the start of 2025, he’s no doubt used to the role he now has to play around baseball.
Once an eighth-round pick in the MLB Draft, Paddack has surprised many with his performances at the MLB level thus far, and while he’s never quite been a star, he’s been a solid, reliable arm for several years, and if he can rekindle that again with the Rangers, he could find a role for this team moving forward as they look to come out on top in what is a very tight race in the AL West.
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