Finally Healthy Texas Rangers Pitcher Having Massive Comeback Season

Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, one of the strengths for the Texas Rangers was expected to be their starting rotation.

It was an incredibly deep and talented group, expected to be led by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Cody Bradford, Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter were going to fill in behind them.

However, things rarely go according to plan.

Early in spring training, whatever plans the Rangers had for their starting rotation went up in smoke when injuries arose.

Gray was hit by a comebacker, fracturing his arm and being placed on the injured list. Bradford was dealing with a sprained elbow and has yet to make his season debut.

Leiter, after an incredibly hot start, was placed on the injured list as he dealt with a blister. Rocker joined him this week because of a shoulder impingement.

Right now, Texas has only four pitchers in their starting rotation: deGrom, Eovaldi, Mahle and free-agent signing Patrick Corbin.

That will change sooner rather than later, but the pressure is on those veterans to stay healthy and perform at a high level.

Durability has been a strength of Corbin and Eovaldi over the last few years, but not of deGrom and Mahle, who only made three starts apiece in 2024.

Finally healthy again after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Mahle has surprisingly been one of the most productive pitchers in baseball over the first few weeks of the season. Over his first five starts, he has a 0.68 ERA and a 564 ERA+, both of which lead MLB.

Mahle has a 3-0 record with 25 strikeouts over 26.2 innings. He has yet to surrender a home run and is doing a wonderful job keeping opponents off base with an MLB-best 3.6 H/9.

The Rangers are receiving the best version of Mahle, and it couldn't have come at a better time with so many of their pitchers on the mend.