The Texas Rangers have placed reliever Jakob Junis on the injured list with a left adductor strain, the team announced this morning. To replace him on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded pitcher Winston Santos from AAA Round Rock.
This is unfortunate. Junis, who spent the first half of July on the injured list, is one of basically two Rangers relievers who have been reliable this season. He’s been the eighth inning guy for Texas, setting up Jacob Latz. With Junis now sidelined,
Skip Schumaker will presumably be looking at Peyton Gray, or the newly-acquired Chase Silseth, to handle the eighth until Junis returns or they trade for someone better.
Benson & Hedges Santos has spent some time in the majors this year as the last man in the pen, but has appeared in just one game, a loss in Cleveland where he gave up two runs in two innings. He has split the 2026 season between Frisco and Round Rock, and most recently pitched for the Express on Sunday, the 26th, when he threw 31 pitches over two scoreless innings.
My guess is that he’s just here to be an innings sponge if needed — particularly given that the Rangers are going with a bullpen game today — and will be sent back down when Silseth reports tomorrow.
