Garcia (1-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Yankees, giving up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.
Making his first appearance since a bout of back spams last weekend, Garcia was brought into a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning and served up what proved to be a game-winning solo shot to Paul Goldschmidt. Garcia has been taken deep in three straight games, and since the beginning of July he's stumbled to a 4.82 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB in 9.1 innings, ratios that would be even worse if it weren't for four unearned runs on his ledger. Phil Maton got the save for the Rangers on Tuesday, and Garcia's hold on the closer role could be hanging by a thread.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Should be ready to pitch Monday
Rotowire
Garcia (back) is expected to be available out of the bullpen for Monday's game against the Yankees, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Garcia suffered a mid-back spasm during his most recent appearance in Saturday's extra-inning win over the Mariners, resulting in him making an early exit. The 29-year-old underwent an MRI, which showed no structural damage. The reliever appears to have avoided any significant injury as a result and looks like he'll be ready to go for the series opener versus New York after getting Sunday off to recover.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Tending to back issue
Rotowire
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy clarified after Saturday's 6-4 win over the Mariners in 11 innings that Garcia exited the contest due to a mid-back spasm, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
After Garcia was pulled in the 10th inning in the middle of a Eugenio Suarez at-bat, the initial word was that he was dealing with a left scapula spasm. However, further assessment determined that Garcia is instead managing a spasm in his mid-back. Bochy said that he expects Garcia to be fine, but the Rangers' closer may be due for a day off or two after pitching three times in the past four days.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Exits with shoulder issue Saturday
Rotowire
Garcia was pulled from Saturday's contest against Seattle due to left scapula spasms, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Garcia entered in the 10th inning with a chance for a save, as Texas led 4-2. He quickly blew the opportunity, serving up a two-run homer to Randy Arozarena on his third pitch. Garcia then retired the next two batters before allowing a Josh Naylor single. He began the next at-bat with two straight balls to Eugenio Suarez and was subsequently visited by a trainer, which led to Garcia's exit from the game after 17 total pitches (only eight of which were strikes). Garcia's initial diagnosis doesn't sound grave, but it wouldn't be surprising if he were to be held out of action for at least a short period, especially since he was pitching Saturday for the third time in four days. Should Garcia need to sit out, Shawn Armstrong or the just-acquired Phil Maton could be the lead candidates for save chances.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Takes fourth blown save
Rotowire
Garcia (1-6) allowed two runs on two hits while failing to record an out, taking the loss and a blown save versus the Mariners on Friday.
Garcia gave up a walk-off two-run home run to J.P. Crawford. This was Garcia's first blown save since June 14 versus the White Sox, though he also took a pair of losses while pitching to a 1.13 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over eight innings in July. The Rangers added Phil Maton from the Cardinals and Danny Coulombe from the Twins at the trade deadline, both of whom earned holds prior to Garcia's blown save. That suggests Garcia will maintain closing duties for now, though any extended struggles will likely cost him the role. He's managed a 3.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB with nine saves, 11 holds and four blown saves over 41.1 innings this season.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Fans two in save
Rotowire
Garcia earned a save against the Angels on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.
It was a relatively stress-free save opportunity for Garcia, who entered for the ninth with the Rangers up by three runs. He needed just 10 pitches (nine strikes) to retire the side in order, beginning and ending his outing with punchouts. Garcia has strengthened his hold on Texas' closer role since the All-Star break, recording all three of the team's saves in the second half. He's not the flashiest closer in the game, but he's largely gotten the job done this season, registering nine saves in 12 chances with 11 holds, a 2.61 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 46:16 K:BB over 41.1 innings.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Turns in seventh save
Rotowire
Garcia picked up the save in Friday's 2-0 win over Detroit, allowing one hit and no walks during a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out two.
While Garcia did allow the possible tying run to get to the plate, he was able to hang on for his seventh save of the season. The Rangers' high-leverage mix has been in a state of flux for most of the year, although it appears that Garcia remains the club's favorite for saves for the time being. Over his last 13 innings, the left-hander holds a 2.08 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Fails to close things out
Rotowire
Garcia was pulled in favor of Shawn Armstrong in the ninth inning of Saturday's 7-4 win over San Diego with two outs and the bases loaded.
Garcia began the ninth inning with the most favorable save situation of a three-run lead and empty bases, but the Padres chipped away and had the winning run at the plate with two outs. Manager Bruce Bochy had seen enough and chose to go with a righty-righty matchup for what turned out to be the final batter when Armstrong got Xander Bogaerts to ground out to end the game. Garcia does have six saves this season and is still the team's top option at closer, but he doesn't have much of a previous pedigree as a closer and is more prone to decisions like this when he can't take care of things cleanly.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Picks up sixth save
Rotowire
Garcia struck out one in a perfect 10th inning Tuesday to record his sixth save of the season in a 6-5 win over the Orioles.
Luke Jackson worked 1.1 scoreless innings in front of him to collect the win, and Garcia was dominant to secure the save -- after the phantom runner advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, the southpaw struck out Dylan Carlson and got Jackson Holliday to fly out weakly to right field to end things, tossing seven of his nine pitches for strikes overall. Jackson appears to have worked his way back into the highest-leverage mix, collecting a win, a save and two holds over his last five appearances, but Garcia is still manager Bruce Bochy's preferred closing option for the moment despite blowing two of his last seven save chances. During that 10-appearance span, Garcia's posted a shaky 4.82 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 9.1 innings.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Blows save versus Rays
Rotowire
Garcia (1-3) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss and a blown save in Thursday's 4-3 defeat versus the Rays.
Garcia may have been rusty, as he had not pitched since May 28 versus the Blue Jays. This was his first blown save since appearing to take over the closer role in late May, but he has allowed six runs over his his last 5.1 innings. The 28-year-old is at a 3.28 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB while adding three saves, 10 holds and two blown saves over 24.2 innings this season. The Rangers' bullpen situation continues to be somewhat fluid, so Garcia is unlikely to suddenly lose all of his high-leverage work, but he'll need to regain his footing soon to be a long-term option in the ninth inning.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Grabs third save Tuesday
Rotowire
Garcia picked up the save in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Toronto by throwing a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out two.
Garcia's usage is becoming noteworthy -- he worked the ninth inning in his second straight outing in place of Luke Jackson, who was called upon for the eighth frame Tuesday. Given Jackson's struggles this season -- he has a 4.86 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through 16.2 innings -- it wouldn't be surprising to see Garcia receive additional save opportunities in the future. Although the Rangers' bullpen could remain a committee approach as it pertains to ninth-inning work, Garcia sports a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB while converting three of his four save chances over 23 frames.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Registers rare save Thursday
Rotowire
Garcia earned the save in Thursday's win 5-3 over the Angels, throwing a clean ninth inning and striking out one.
Garcia didn't have to do much to net his first save of the year, inducing two quick groundouts after fanning the leadoff batter on three pitches. Each of his five pitches overall landed for strikes. Closer Luke Jackson worked each of the past two days, and setup man Chris Martin was summoned to retire the top of the Angels' lineup in the eighth inning. That said, Garcia has five holds as opposed to one save in 2025, so he's unlikely to see very much ninth-inning work going forward despite producing a 2.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 8:3 K:BB through nine frames of work.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Impressive hold in win
Rotowire
Garcia struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Reds.
Garcia entered with none out and a runner on first base in the seventh. After Matt McLain stole second base, the left-hander had to deal with the most dangerous part of the order and a runner in scoring position, and he was up to the challenge. Garcia struck out Elly De La Cruz and Gavin Lux swinging before inducing a harmless groundout (72.8 exit velocity). It was the third hold of the season for Garcia, whose four appearances have come in the seventh or eighth innings with Texas ahead by a run or tied.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Closer candidate makes debut
Rotowire
Garcia walked one and struck out one over a scoreless inning in Thursday's spring game against San Diego.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy earlier in camp referred to Garcia as one of the main arms in the mix for the closer role, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, but the pitcher's spring debut was delayed until Thursday due to nerve irritation in his left forearm. His ratios from 2024 don't jump out, but Garcia's underlying metrics, including 98th percentile hard-hit and barrel rates and a 94th percentile chase rate, indicate he was much better than a 4.22 ERA might indicate. At this point, Garcia and Chris Martin are the leading candidates for save opportunities in the Rangers' rebuilt bullpen.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Facing hitters Thursday
Rotowire
Garcia (forearm) will face hitters Thursday, Shawn McDonald of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Garcia is behind schedule due to some irritation in his left forearm, but he's coming along nicely in his recovery. If the southpaw gets through Thursday's session with no concerns, he could be ready to appear in a Cactus League game soon. Garcia is expected to be a high-leverage reliever for the Rangers and in the mix to earn save chances.
... See More... See Less
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Traded to Rangers
Rotowire
The Nationals traded Garcia to the Rangers on Sunday in exchange for Nathaniel Lowe, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Garcia appeared in 72 regular-season games for the Nationals in 2024 and finished with a 4.22 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 75:16 K:BB across 59.2 innings while notching 13 holds. Garcia gives the Rangers a high-leverage, left-handed option out of the bullpen for the 2025 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Garcia: Collects second win
Rotowire
Garcia (2-3) picked up the win Sunday over the Reds, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless eighth inning.
The southpaw preserved a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth and then got rewarded when rookie James Wood launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Garcia has been scored upon only once in his last 14 appearances dating back to June 16, delivering a 2.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB over 12.1 innings during that stretch while recording three holds and both his wins.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Garcia: Taking on high-leverage role
Rotowire
Garcia has posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 47:11 K:BB through 32.2 innings with one win and 11 holds in 41 appearances.
The 28-year-old southpaw's ratios on the season aren't impressive, but they disguise the improvements he's made of late. Garcia has been scored upon only once in his last 12 trips to the mound, delivering a 0.97 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB through 10.1 innings during that stretch. He's the only left-hander in the Nationals' bullpen at the moment, but Garcia is emerging as a reliable high-leverage option for manager Dave Martinez, which should lead to more holds in the second half.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Garcia: Activated from injured list
Rotowire
The Nationals activated Garcia (illness) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Garcia was down for a couple weeks with the flu but is ready to roll now after making just one rehab appearance. The 27-year-old has allowed six runs but has struck out 13 over 8.1 relief innings with the Nats this season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Garcia: Goes on IL with illness
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Garcia on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 21, with the flu, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
There's been a bug going around the Nationals' clubhouse and Garcia got it bad enough to force an IL stint. He'll be eligible to return May 7 and seems likely to be back at that time.
