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Texas Rangers provide updates on group of injured relievers
DETROIT —The statistically best bullpen in baseball is still likely a week or two away from reinforcements.
Rangers right-hander Chris Martin “took the next step” in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement, manager Skip Schumaker said Friday afternoon, and will throw a bullpen this weekend. Martin, sidelined since April 15, should then face hitters and will likely require several minor league rehab appearances because of how long he’s been shelved.
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“He’s definitely ahead of where he was even a couple of days ago,” Schumaker said. “It’s been really good on the rehab side the last couple of days.”
The 39-year-old had a 7.11 ERA and a .393 opponent’s batting average in his first eight games this season, and though the club expected him to be among their highest-leverage arms, the bullpen has produced nonetheless. Their 2.82 ERA leads all relief staffs in baseball, and per FanGraphs, their 0.9 WAR accumulated is the fifth-highest in the American League.
Martin is closer to a return than his left-handed high-leverage counterpart, Robert Garcia. Schumaker said Friday that Garcia, on the injured list since April 23 with shoulder inflammation, is “further behind” in his recovery.
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Right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler, a Rule 5 draftee out since April 5 with an intercostal strain, still needs to pitch in back-to-back games before the Rangers can deem him ready to return. Baumler has a 3.00 ERA in three rehab appearances at Triple-A Round Rock but hasn’t pitched since Tuesday night. Schumaker said Baumler “still has a few more outings before we are going to see him up here.”