Rangers' Tyler Mahle: Sharper in second rehab start
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Mahle (shoulder) struck out three batters and allowed two hits and one walk over 2.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Round Rock.
After recording just three outs and getting rocked for five earned runs in his first rehab outing with Round Rock on Tuesday, Mahle returned to the hill five days later and fared much better. He pumped in 33 of his 47 pitches for strikes in the efficient performance, though his average fastball velocity of 90.2 miles per hour was about two ticks behind his season-long average prior to landing on the shelf June 15 due to right shoulder fatigue. Though Mahle isn't yet built up enough to handle a traditional starting role, the Rangers could have him return from the 60-day injured list later this week to work as a multi-inning reliever or to be used in tandem with Jacob Latz, who recently transitioned to the rotation after spending most of the season pitching in the bullpen.
