Despite Losing Key Cogs, Rangers Making a Wild Card Push

But they could be much worse as well. Just a week and a half ago, after dropping three out of four to the Royals, the Rangers were sitting at 63-66.

So what has changed over that time? Nothing positive, other than in the win column. Injuries to key players have run rampant throughout the Rangers’ roster over the last few weeks. Let’s take a look at what the ball club has had to deal with on the injury front as of late.

Key Injuries for the Texas Rangers

Over the last two weeks, the Rangers have lost Jon Gray, Nathan Eovaldi, Marcus Semien, and Evan Carter for the rest of the season. Corey Seager is also out for several weeks after having an appendectomy last week. And now Adolis Garcia looks like he might have to hit the IL with a quad issue.

That many injuries would be brutal to have to navigate over the course of 162 games, much less coming in the span of just two weeks.

The Gray injury hurt from a pitching depth perspective. He hadn’t quite found his form after coming back from a broken hand that had kept him on the shelf for most of the year, but the Rangers would much rather have him than not.

Semien and Carter going down was a huge blow for sure. Semien is the top defender at second base in the American League with +6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Even though he struggled early, in his 71 games played since May 30, he slashed .270/.338/.464 to go with 15 doubles, a triple, and 12 home runs.

Carter wasn’t killing the ball, but he was playing solid defense in center field and had shown some signs of improvement at the plate. With Carter out, it not only takes his bat out of the lineup but forces Wyatt Langford to slide over from left field to center.

The two largest blows to the Rangers came in the form of losing Eovaldi for the season and Seager for an extended time.

Eovaldi has anchored the Rangers’ pitching staff in 2025. The team was 15-7 when he took the mound, and his record was 11-3. In 130 innings pitched, Eovaldi had a 1.73 ERA, 0.854 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts.

Losing the team’s best pitcher was a big hit. Then losing the team’s best offensive player in Seager was just piling on. The hope is that Seager will be able to rejoin the Rangers before the end of the season.

If Garcia has to miss time, that will be just another hole that the team will have to fill with some young guys who are hungry to prove themselves worthy.

How Are the Rangers Winning?

The Rangers’ 2025 season has been on life support multiple times this year. Heading into the All-Star break, the team needed to come out on the other side guns blazing. That is exactly what they did.

They went 8-1 out of the break with two sweeps and the only loss coming to the AL-leading Tigers. And as the rollercoaster seemed to be heading in the right direction, the bottom would fall out from under it yet again.

From July 28 to August 21, the Rangers had an anemic 7-16 record. They lost six of seven series, in that stretch, with the only series win coming at home against the Yankees.

With just about all hope for a postseason berth gone, the Rangers started getting hurt — and winning. Over the club’s last 10 games, they have a 9-1 record. Their opponents haven’t been the cream of the crop, but the Rangers have reeled off enough wins that they find themselves back in contention.

Over the last 10 games, the Rangers have scored 76 runs, which is the second most in MLB. As a team, they have a 148 wRC+ and are slashing .294/.335/.545. That is some solid offensive output.

Like the rest of the season, the starting pitching has been phenomenal. In those 10 games, the starters have a 2.20 ERA, and the staff as a whole has a 2.87 ERA. Pitching has not been an issue at all this season for the Rangers.

Joc Pederson has been living up to his contract as of late. In his last 25 games and 79 plate appearances, he is hitting .274/.329/.575 and has scored 12 runs, has 15 RBI, four doubles, and six home runs. Pederson has stepped up nicely when the Rangers have needed him most.

It hasn’t just been Pederson, though. In the last week and a half, the entire offensive roster has been contributing. Early, late, and often, the bats have been coming through.

What Will September Hold for the Rangers?

September marks the start of football across the country. No state loves its pigskin action more than the Lone Star State. So how will the Rangers be able to keep some eyes on their quest for the postseason?

Winning baseball is fun baseball. There are some young kids who are playing hard and intensely and doing it with smiles on their faces.

I challenge anyone to watch Cody Freeman play baseball and not enjoy it. He brings the energy every pitch of every at-bat and is loving his time in Arlington. And he isn’t the only one.

Everyone seems to be relaxed and just playing ball. That will have to continue for the next 23 games if the Rangers are to finish this topsy-turvy season with a trip to the postseason.

The Rangers’ remaining schedule is a tough one, but it’s one that could create opportunities as well. With six games remaining against the Astros, there is mathematically nothing that is out of bounds for this team, including the far-reaching shot at the AL West title.

If there is one thing that many have realized this year, it is that baseball is its own animal and the best predictions often miss the mark.

Miss the playoffs, grab an AL wild-card spot, or win the AL West — three stark outcomes, and only the next three and a half weeks left to determine which one comes to fruition.

Jake Burger and Chris Martin were both added to the roster on Monday, and they have already seen action and played a key role in a win. Tyler Mahle could also be back soon. Add a healthy Seager into to the mix, and this team could keep the momentum rolling.

Meaningful baseball in September should never be taken for granted. The Rangers are doing their best to make things interesting coming down the stretch. If this winning keeps going, there will indeed be lots of eyes on the boys out of Arlington, and I’m not referring to the Cowboys.