Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter underwent surgery today to remove a loose body in his ankle, per the beats. While the expectation is that he will be back before the end of the season, exactly when he will be able to return is not clear, with Evan Grant indicating Leiter wouldn’t be back before August at the earliest.
The injury to Leiter’s ankle was suffered on April 22, when he tripped on the on-deck circle in an effort to back up a throw. He’s been pitching through it, but it apparently has been impacting
him, and reports over the weekend said that a recent scan indicated that the ankle had gotten worse.
Cal Quantrill is filling in for Leiter in the rotation for at least the start today. Jose Corniell, who has been a starter throughout his career in the minors, was called up to take Leiter’s place on the active roster, and could be a rotation option as well.
The Rangers will no doubt be hoping that Jordan Montgomery, who started a rehab assignment this past weekend and pitched one inning for Frisco, will make good enough progress in his return from Tommy John surgery that he would be an option after the All Star Break.
After putting up a 3.86 ERA and 4.15 FIP in 2025, Leiter’s numbers have gone backwards in 2026, as he’s posting a 5.29 ERA and 4.76 FIP on the year. One would think that trying to pitch through the ankle injury contributed significantly to that.
