Howard (finger) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list and serve as a bulk reliever behind opener Garrett Richards in Sunday's game against the Athletics, Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Howard was tagged for six runs over three innings in his lone outing April 10 in Toronto before developing a cracked nail and blister on a finger on his throwing hand that resulted in a brief stint on the IL. The Rangers haven't said that Howard will permanently work behind an opener in his subsequent turns through the rotation, so having the right-hander follow Richards for Sunday's game may just allow the team to better manage the 25-year-old's workload in his return.