Texas Rangers Boss Reveals New Starting Pitcher’s Status for Opening Day

The Texas Rangers hope that Patrick Corbin, on some level, is the solution to their depth issues in the starting rotation.

But, for now, they’re just happy to finally get a look at him in person.

On Monday, Corbin joined the team at Globe Life Field in Arlington before their scheduled exhibition game with the Kansas City Royals.

When the Rangers signed Corbin to a $1.1 million deal last week, him joining the team in Arlington, as opposed to spring training in Surprise, Ariz., was always the plan. Not only did the signing come late, but Corbin wanted to be with his wife as she delivered their child, which happened on Saturday.

The next step for Corbin was to take his physical and pitch in a simulated game well before the exhibition game. Members of the local media were able to observe the sim game.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Corbin threw 75 pitches in a five-inning simulated game against Rangers hitters. That’s in line with the build-up he’s been doing on his own in Jupiter, Fla., while waiting for a deal. He told reporters that he’s thrown as many as 85 pitches in a bullpen session.

So he’ll be ready for opening day, right? Not so fast, said manager Bruce Bochy. He told reporters that it’s “more than likely” Corbin won’t be ready for the opening-day roster when Texas opens the season against the Boston Red Sox.

“I don’t want to rule anything out,” Bochy said, “but I think that’s fair to say [that he won’t be on the opening day roster]. Can’t close that door either. Knock on wood, nothing happens.”

The schedule is working with the Rangers. They play each of the first seven days of the season, but they have enough coverage to go one turn in the rotation without him. That would likely mean using Kumar Rocker, who has struggled for most of this spring, as a fifth starter or tapping into a bullpen game.

The Rangers have installed Nathan Eovaldi as their opening-day starter, with Jacob deGrom, Jack Leiter and Tyler Mahle likely taking the other sports. The Rangers haven’t officially announced their rotation.

Corbin is a flier in the truest sense. A two-time All-Star and a 2019 World Series champion with the Washington Nationals, he has started at least 30 games in each of the last seven full seasons (excluding 2020). But his performance of late has been awful.

After going 14-7 in 2019, the first year of a six-year, $140 million deal, he’s gone 33-70 with a 5.62 ERA.

The Rangers know what they’re getting. But they need the left-hander’s reliability to eat innings with both Jon Gray and Cody Bradford out for a while due to injury.