The Texas Rangers placed right-hander Josh Sborz on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right shoulder fatigue, marking the reliever’s third stint on the IL this season.
The move, which is retroactive to Thursday, was one of several that the team made Sunday. The Rangers recalled rookie left-hander Walter Pennington and selected the contract of right-hander Matt Festa from Triple-A Round Rock, optioned right-hander Grant Anderson to Round Rock, and designated lefty Brock Burke for assignment.
Sborz, 30, also went on the IL because of a right rotator cuff strain on April 7-24 and May 9-July 4. He is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA, four walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 innings over 16 relief appearances.
Rangers general manager Chris Young said Sborz will travel back to Dallas for an examination and treatment.
“Our hope is this is a 15-day setback for Josh, and that we’ll have him pretty close to that 15-day time period,” Young said.
Sborz is a Rangers World Series hero who recorded the final seven outs in the title-clinching Game 5 last season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In parts of six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2019-20) and Rangers, Sborz is 13-12 with one save, a 4.91 ERA, 69 walks and 192 strikeouts in 153 games (one start).
The Rangers acquired Pennington, 26, in a July 29 trade with the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Michael Lorenzen. Pennington appeared in two games for the Royals and one for the Rangers for a combined 5.40 ERA in 1 2/3 innings.
Festa, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Rangers on July 8, was granted his release on Aug. 1 and re-signed as a free agent on Tuesday. Festa made a one-inning relief appearance for the New York Mets this season and is 0-1 with a 36.00 ERA.
Anderson, 27, is 0-1 with a 7.54 ERA, 10 walks and 23 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings over 18 relief appearances for the Rangers this season.
Burle, 28, was 0-0 with a 9.22 ERA, nine walks and 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings over 13 relief appearances with Texas this season. In four seasons, he is 12-10 with a 4.10 ERA, 53 walks and 172 strikeouts in 182 1/3 innings over 124 games (six starts).
–Field Level Media