- Day-To-DayNathan Eovaldi (SP) — Eovaldi (side) threw a bullpen session without issue Wednesday and expects to make his next scheduled start Sunday in Houston, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.05/13
- 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.04/07
- 10-Day-ILCody Freeman (3B) — Freeman (back) will begin a rehab assignment with the Rangers' Arizona Complex League affiliate Thursday.05/14
- 10-Day-ILJosh Smith (2B) — Smith (lower body) is dealing with a wrist injury that will delay his rehab program, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.05/11
- 10-Day-ILWyatt Langford (LF) — Langford (forearm) rejoined the Rangers in Detroit on Saturday and will rest for a full week before being reevaluated by the team, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILChris Martin (RP) — Martin (biceps) is expected to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday or Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.05/10
- 15-Day-ILRobert Garcia (RP) — Garcia (shoulder) began throwing from 80 feet out Friday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILLuis Curvelo (RP) — The Rangers placed Curvelo on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.05/08
- OutDeclan Cronin (RP) — Cronin (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.05/08
- OutNabil Crismatt (SP) — Crismatt will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCody Bradford (SP) — Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports05/10
- 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery (SP) — Montgomery (elbow) will throw his fifth bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayWalker Janek (C) — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.05/08
- Day-To-DayLucas Spence (OF) — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Spence on its 7-day injured list April 22 due to an unspecified injury.05/08
- 10-Day-ILJeremy Pena (SS) — Pena (hamstring/neck) hopes to resume his rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/14
- 10-Day-ILJake Meyers (CF) — Meyers (oblique) is slated to begin a rehab assignment this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/11
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Correa is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday in Houston to repair the tendon in his left ankle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.05/10
- 10-Day-ILJoey Loperfido (LF) — The Astros announced Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) has started light running and light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILTaylor Trammell (CF) — The Astros announced Monday that Trammell (groin) has begun a running progression in addition to taking part in light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILYainer Diaz (C) — The Astros placed Diaz (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 15-Day-ILNate Pearson (RP) — Pearson (elbow) is being built up as a reliever on his rehab assignment, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/11
- 15-Day-ILBennett Sousa (RP) — The Astros placed Sousa on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday, Julia Morales of Space City Home Network reports.05/09
- 60-Day-ILHunter Brown (SP) — The Astros transferred Brown (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.05/09
- 60-Day-ILHayden Wesneski (SP) — The Astros announced Monday that Wesneski (elbow) is continuing to complete regular bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRonel Blanco (SP) — The Astros announced Monday that Blanco (elbow) is continuing to complete regular bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP) — The Astros placed Walter (elbow) on the 60-day injured list.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJosh Hader (RP) — Hader (biceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCristian Javier (SP) — The Astros announced Monday that Javier (shoulder) will begin a throwing progression this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/08
Even with all that, the matchup gives Houston a real puncher's chance tonight, and his name is Spencer Arrighetti. The 1.88 ERA is no fluke — he's allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his five outings, including the May 2 win over Boston where he gutted through 5 innings of 1-run ball. The walks (17 in 28.2 IP) are a worry, but the Rangers haven't exactly been mashing right-handed strike-throwers either.
Jack Leiter, meanwhile, is doing the Jack Leiter thing. His last start in Detroit was the whole career in one outing: perfect through 4, matched a career-high 10 strikeouts, then coughed up 5 earned and took the loss in 6.2. He hasn't won a game since his season debut in March and has surrendered 7 homers in 38 innings. Minute Maid's short porch is not the park you want to fix that in.
The market sees this as a genuine pick'em on the moneyline (-104 both ways) which tells you exactly how much respect Arrighetti's getting versus how little the books trust Houston's lineup without Correa, Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Pena, and Jake Meyers. That's a starting infield-plus worth of names on the IL card.
Texas has won 4 of its last 5 and is finally getting healthy enough on the pitching side that Nathan Eovaldi is lined up to start Sunday in this same series. Get through Arrighetti tonight, even with a split, and the Rangers should feel great about the weekend. The pick'em line is the tell — back the team that isn't actively falling apart.