Parker Messick (6-1, 2.21) gets the ball for the Guardians against Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.54) at 7:15 PM CT from Globe Life Field. Messick's last time out he went 5 innings of 1-run ball against Boston with no decision. Rocker's last outing was arguably his best of the year — 6 innings of shutout work against Kansas City on 3 hits with no decision to show for it.
The bigger storyline tonight is in the Rangers' batter's box. Corey Seager is being activated off the 10-day IL after lower-back inflammation kept him out since mid-May, and he's expected to be in the lineup for the opener. Texas has won 4 of 5 without him; getting their best hitter back into a club that's already trending up is the kind of thing that can flip a season. Josh Smith is still on the shelf, but Seager moving the needle is a different beast.
On the other side, Cleveland is limping in. They got swept at home by Boston, took 2 of 3 in the Bronx, and then dropped a 2-1 nailbiter to the Yankees on Wednesday. The bats have been quiet outside of that one 9-run outburst in New York. Messick has been the stabilizer all year — Cleveland is 9-2 in his starts and he's allowed more than 3 earned runs exactly once. The rookie lefty is the only real reason to like the Guardians as moneyline favorites tonight at -123.
- Day-To-DayCarlos Hernandez RP — Hernandez (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
- 15-Day-ILErik Sabrowski RP — Sabrowski (elbow) underwent an MRI on Tuesday which confirmed inflammation but no structural damage, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGabriel Arias SS — no
- Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott SS — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILCorey Seager SS — The Rangers are expected to activate Seager (back) from the injured list Friday prior to the series opener versus the Guardians, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJosh Smith 2B — Smith (glute/wrist/illness) took live batting practice Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILWyatt Langford LF — Langford (forearm) started in left field and went 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILChris Martin RP — The Rangers placed Martin on the 15-day injured list Monday with a right shoulder impingement.
- bereavementSam Haggerty LF — Haggerty replaced Brandon Nimmo (ankle) in Tuesday's 7-4 win over Arizona. He went hitless in his lone plate appearance.
- 15-Day-ILCole Winn RP — Winn (0-1) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out one over one-third of an inning.
- 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery SP — Montgomery (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
Rocker is the wild card. The shutout against the Royals was the version Texas drafted 3rd overall to see — strike-throwing, getting weak contact, mixing his slider for whiffs. The rest of his season has been bumpier, hence the 2-5 record despite a respectable 3.54 ERA. If he gives Texas 6 quality innings again, the Rangers bullpen has been good enough to close it out.
Total sits at 7.5 with the under juiced to -129, which tracks for a Messick start. The lean here is Cleveland's ace doing Cleveland's ace things while a freshly returning Seager works the rust off. Rangers +111 is fair value if you trust Rocker to repeat the KC outing — but that's the bet, not a sure thing.