CHICAGO ― A day after his best start as a major leaguer, Jack Leiter was returned to the minor leagues.
But he’s not going anywhere.
In a procedural move, Leiter, added as the 27th player for Wednesday’s second game, had to be technically returned to the minor leagues. But he can be recalled at any time. Rosters may be expanded by two players starting Sunday. And the Rangers intend to start Leiter again in the next turn of the rotation. The Rangers aren’t sure whether that will be Monday or Tuesday against the New York Yankees.
After struggling with command in the first inning, Leiter righted himself and pitched into the fifth inning against Chicago on Wednesday. Manager Bruce Bochy tried to give him a chance to notch his first major league win, but Leiter allowed a ground ball single to Luis Robert Jr., then perhaps unnerved by Robert’s ability to run, walked Andrew Benintendi on five pitches.
Leiter, making the fourth big league start of is career and the first since May 14, walked the first batter of the game. The second reached on catcher’s interference and then both runners scored on a double by Benintendi. It took Leiter 30 pitches to work through the first inning, but he made adjustments. Leiter ended up throwing 83 pitches in his four-plus innings. For the Rangers, the most important development was that Leiter found a way to not let early trouble spin out of control.
“It was obvious he was amped up in the first inning,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Leiter. “But he got better as the game went on. I think his confidence got better as he went. I think getting through the second inning was huge for him.”
Said Leiter: “That first inning was pretty high-stress. I felt like the execution got better as I went. It’s really controlling my thoughts and slowing myself down and trusting myself.
The Rangers could start on Leiter or Andrew Heaney on Monday on four days’ rest, but Bochy mentioned the possibility of giving Heaney an extra day of rest.
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