Texas Rangers pitcher Glenn Otto made his first injury rehab start on Tuesday got the Triple-A Round Rock Express against El Paso in Pacific Coast League action.
Otto is the last of a quartet of pitchers that were bullpen candidates in Spring Training to make it into a injury rehab assignment. The others being Spencer Howard, Danny Duffy and Kyle Funkhouser.
Otto started the game, throwing the first three innings. He gave up two hits, two runs (both earned) and struck out four. He didn’t give up a walk. But he did allow a home run.
Otto had been on the 60-day injured list after he suffered a right shoulder strain in the spring.
Otto went 7-10 last season as a starter with a 4.64 ERA. But, given the Rangers’ investment in starting pitching, was consigned to competing for a bullpen role.
Depending upon how much progress Otto makes in the minors, he could be a candidate to re-join the rotation. Jacob deGrom — signed in the offseason to be the staff’s ace — is out of the season after having surgery for a torn UCL in his right elbow.
Dane Dunning, who took deGrom’s place in the rotation, has looked shaky in his last two starts. Same goes for Martín Pérez, who has a 6-2 record but a 4.67 ERA one season after he won a 12 games and had a sub-3.00 ERA.
Additionally, Jon Gray was pushed back from Tuesday’s start with a blister issue. The Rangers hope to have him back in the rotation soon.
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