Howard didn't factor into the decision Wednesday in the Rangers' 2-1 loss to the Mariners after working three scoreless frames in his 44-pitch start. He permitted two hits and no walks while striking out three.
Howard generated six swings and misses on his 26 strikes in what was an encouraging outing for the young right-hander, who has largely struggled between big-league stops in Philadelphia and Texas this season. As was the case when he pitched for the Phillies earlier in 2021, the Rangers appear committed to limiting his workloads in his starts, an arrangement that will make it difficult to scoop up wins even when he performs well. Taylor Hearn tossed four innings in long relief and is expected to be deployed in tandem with Howard for the foreseeable future.