Rangers' Jacob Latz: Four scoreless innings Saturday
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Latz struck out three and walked one across four scoreless and hitless innings in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Phillies.
With Jacob deGrom scratched due to neck stiffness, Latz made the spot start for Texas after he lost out to Kumar Rocker for the fifth spot in Texas' rotation over the spring. Latz made easy work of the Phillies on 68 pitches but didn't factor into the decision. As long as deGrom is cleared for his next turn through the rotation, Latz should slot back into a long-relief role in the bullpen.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Making spot start Saturday
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Latz is starting for the Rangers against the Phillies on Saturday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Jacob deGrom was initially slated to take the mound Saturday, but the veteran right-hander was scratched due to neck stiffness. Latz was unsuccessful in earning a spot in the Rangers' rotation this spring, but the 29-year-old will open things up in deGrom's absence. Latz started in eight regular-season games for the Rangers in 2025 and posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 39.2 innings.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Opening season in bullpen
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President of baseball operations Chris Young said Monday that Latz will be part of the bullpen on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Latz will likely be ticketed for a multi-inning relief role, with most of his opportunities expected to come in lower-leverage spots. The assignment to the bullpen is a disappointing outcome for Latz, who looked to have a leg up on Kumar Rocker for the final spot in the season-opening rotation heading into spring training based on his strong close to the 2025 campaign. After an Aug. 20 call-up from Triple-A Round Rock, Latz turned in a 2.10 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 24:10 K:BB in 30 innings over his final eight outings with the Rangers, but he couldn't carry over that success to the spring. He yielded 16 runs (14 earned) on 18 hits and eight walks over his 15.1 innings during the Cactus League.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Losing velocity
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Latz allowed nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out five over three innings in Thursday's spring start against the Brewers.
The southpaw picked an unfortunate time to post this clunker, as it came one day after his competitor for the final rotation spot, Kumar Rocker, threw four scoreless frames. As troublesome as the results were, more concerning might be Latz's inability to hold the velocity on his four-seamer. The pitch sat 94-96 mph in his first two innings before dipping to 90-92 mph in the third and fourth frames. Latz and Rocker are trending in opposite directions, and while no decision has been made, signs point to Rocker securing the final rotation spot, likely leaving Latz in the bullpen.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Battles into fourth inning
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Latz allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.1 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Giants.
Latz's third Cactus League start was a grind. After an efficient 1-2-3 first inning, the left-hander needed 18 pitches for the second frame. The walks also drove up his pitch count, and by the time he started the fourth inning, Latz's velocity diminished. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have been concerned about Latz's ability to maintain velocity throughout a game and work as a viable starter. He's currently competing with Kumar Rocker for the final spot in the rotation, with Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber also options if neither favorite is deemed able to handle the assignment.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Rebounds after rocky start
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Latz allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one over three innings in Sunday's spring start against Seattle.
Two batters into Latz's second Cactus League start, the Rangers trailed, 2-0, after the left-hander served up a middle-middle slider that Cole Young drove 442 feet over the fence in right field. He allowed another hit in the inning, and then retired eight consecutive batters before calling it a day. Latz threw 41 pitches (26 strikes) and did not walk a batter for the second straight start. He was used mostly as a reliever the last few seasons, but the Rangers are building him as a starter and letting him compete with Kumar Rocker for the final spot in the rotation. Of the two, Latz has performed better thus far in spring action.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Strikes out six in no-decision
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Latz didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out six.
It was just the eighth start of the season for Latz, who fell one punchout shy of matching his season high. The 29-year-old southpaw didn't see much high-leverage work in 2025 -- he has two holds and one save -- but he was effective as a swingman for the Rangers. Through 85.2 frames, Latz produced a 2.84 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 76:37 K:BB.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Making start Saturday
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Latz is slated to start Saturday's game against the Guardians in Cleveland.
With the Rangers recently welcoming Tyler Mahle back from the injured list, Latz had shifted to the bullpen following his most recent start Sept. 14 against the Mets. He has since made a pair of relief appearances, but Latz will be back in a starting role as the season winds down while the Rangers having shifted to a six-man rotation since being eliminated from playoff contention. Through 32 appearances (seven starts) on the campaign, Latz has gone 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 70:37 K:BB in 80.1 innings.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Walks four in no-decision
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Latz did not factor in the decision during Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Mets. He yielded one run on two hits and four walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings.
Latz worked through four scoreless frames before the Mets finally broke the 0-0 tie in the fifth inning. He hasn't completed six innings in an outing since June 24 as he's bounced around between the rotation, the bullpen and Triple-A Round Rock in recent months. Since moving back into the rotation, Latz has allowed five runs over 20 innings (2.25 ERA) in four appearances. His season ERA is down to 2.85 with a 70:36 K:BB through 79 innings. Latz's role moving forward is unclear, as Tyler Mahle (shoulder) is set to rejoin the Rangers' rotation this week.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Takes no-decision Tuesday
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Latz allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out one over 5.1 innings to take a no-decision Tuesday versus the Diamondbacks.
Latz had a fine start, but he was given a short leash after running into trouble in the sixth inning. He exited at 71 pitches (45 strikes) after issuing a pair of one-out walks, and reliever Luis Curvelo wasn't able to shut things down. Over his last three outings (two starts), Latz has allowed four runs over 13 innings while posting a 10:4 K:BB. He's at a 3.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 62:31 K:BB through 68.2 innings over 28 appearances (five starts) in the majors this season. Latz is tentatively projected to draw a tough home start versus the Brewers early next week.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Solid as starter
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Latz didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Los Angeles, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts across 4.1 innings.
The Rangers selected Latz to fill Nathan Eovaldi's (shoulder) spot in the rotation, and Latz fared well in the position. He threw just 66 pitches, up from the 43 pitches he threw in his previous appearance, and managed to pitch into the fifth frame. In four starts this season, Latz has a 3.38 ERA and a 19:8 K:BB across 18.2 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start against the Diamondbacks early next week and could continue building up his workload.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Drawing start versus Angels
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Latz has been named the Rangers' starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Angels in Arlington.
With Nathan Eovaldi (shoulder) set to go on the injured list with a likely season-ending rotator cuff strain, Latz will get the first chance to replace him in the rotation. Latz has previously made three starts among his 26 appearances for the Rangers, but he most recently worked out of the bullpen in an outing against the Royals on Aug. 20, when he struck out four over 3.1 scoreless innings. Latz should be able to build on the 43-pitch workload he handled in that contest, but the Rangers may not keep him in Wednesday's game long enough for Latz to qualify for a win.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Moving up from Triple-A
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The Rangers recalled Latz from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.
Caleb Boushley will begin the game on the mound for the Rangers on Wednesday in Kansas City, but since he'll be pitching on one day of rest and hasn't covered more than one frame since making a three-inning appearance for Round Rock on Aug. 10, he'll likely be in line for an abbreviated start. As one of the fresher arms in the bullpen who's capable of providing length, Latz could be called upon for multiple innings of relief Wednesday. Latz is available on three days' rest and worked five-plus innings on three previous occasions for Texas this season, most recently doing so July 20 versus Detroit.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Shifts back to bullpen
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Latz worked in relief in wins over Atlanta on Friday and Saturday, covering 1.1 innings between his two appearances while allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks.
Prior to his pair of relief appearances, Latz tossed five innings of one-run ball in a start against the Tigers on July 20, but he was never expected to receive multiple turns through the Texas rotation. The 29-year-old lefty has proven to be a dependable spot starter when called upon this season, but the Rangers aren't likely to have a permanent rotation spot available for him unless another starter succumbs to an injury. Even in that scenario, Jon Gray -- who was activated from the 60-day injured list earlier this week and moved to the bullpen -- might be the preferred option over Latz to fill any void in the rotation.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Takes no-decision in spot start
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Latz did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Tigers. He allowed one run on six hits and two walks over five innings with three strikeouts.
The 29-year-old pitched valiantly in his third game started of the season after Nathan Eovaldi (back) had to be scratched from his scheduled start Sunday. The only blemish on Latz's performance came in the second when Zach McKinstry roped a run-scoring single. The Texas southpaw is likely to return to his usual bullpen role following this start, but it is possible he garners another turn in the rotation if Eovaldi's back injury requires additional missed time. Latz is currently enjoying the best season of his career in his fourth year with the Rangers, pitching to a 2.89 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 51:23 K:BB across 53 innings.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Brilliant in no-decision
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Latz came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Orioles, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks over six-plus innings. He struck out four.
The southpaw had a no-hitter going through six innings as the Rangers built a 3-0 lead, but after Latz gave up a single to Ramon Laureano and walked Gunnar Henderson to begin the seventh, he had to watch from the dugout as Chris Martin served up three straight home runs to erase his chance at a win. Latz has been outstanding over his last five appearances (two starts), posting a 3.50 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 18 innings. His 14:8 K:BB over that stretch is less impressive, and suggests that he likely wouldn't sustain his current level of success if he were to receive a longer run in the rotation. With Nathan Eovaldi (triceps) on track to return from the injured list this weekend, Latz will likely head back to the bullpen.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Tentatively lined up for Tuesday
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Latz appears tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday's game in Baltimore, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Dane Dunning is also an option to start Tuesday, but the Rangers appear prepared to have Latz open the contest as long as he isn't needed out of the bullpen in Monday's series opener. Fifteen of Latz's 16 appearances this season have come out of the bullpen, but he covered 5.2 innings and threw 82 pitches in his most recent relief appearance Thursday against the Royals, so he's stretched out enough to provide length Tuesday. With Nathan Eovaldi (triceps) expected back from the injured list later this week, Latz will likely be in line for just one turn through the Texas rotation.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Exits with apparent hand injury
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Latz was removed from his start in Sunday's game against the Nationals due to an apparent cut or blister on his pitching hand, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports. He struck out seven and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks over 3.1 innings before exiting the game.
Making just his second big-league start and his first since the 2021 season, Latz wasn't expected to work much deeper into Sunday's contest after he had already tossed 60 pitches prior to leaving the game following a mound visit from manager Bruce Bochy and a team trainer. Latz gave the Rangers some quality innings while he was on the mound, and assuming he can quickly move past the hand issue, he could be an option to lead off another bullpen game if Nathan Eovaldi (triceps) isn't ready to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible later this week.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Could still win bullpen spot
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Latz was spotted at Globe Life Field on Monday and could win a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day bullpen, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Latz was sent to minor-league camp in early March, but he remains under consideration for a multi-inning relief role and could be the favorite to nab the last spot in the Texas bullpen. The 28-year-old made 46 appearances in relief for the Rangers in 2024, posting a 3.71 ERA and 40:27 K:BB over 43.2 frames.
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Rangers' Jacob Latz: Throwing bullpen Thursday
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Latz (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Thursday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Thursday will mark the first time Latz has thrown off a mound since he landed on the injured list Sunday with forearm tightness. The Rangers have yet to offer a timeline for the 28-year-old southpaw to come off the IL.
