Texas right-hander Tyler Mahle will step on a major league mound for the first time in 15-plus months when the Rangers face the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Arlington, Texas.
Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 as a member of the Minnesota Twins. He proved himself ready to return by compiling a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings across six minor league rehab starts over the past month.
His last big league outing before the surgery came on April 27, 2023.
Texas signed Mahle, 29, in December as a free agent.
“I’m just excited to be able to contribute,” Mahle told reporters on Monday. “I’ve been here for — I don’t know how many months it’s been, but we’re in August and I haven’t been able to do anything except cheer everyone on. I’m excited to be able to compete with these guys.”
Texas has been short on starting pitching, so the timing of Mahle’s debut is good. Jacob deGrom (elbow) has missed the entire season, Max Scherzer (shoulder) just went back on the injured list for another stint and Jon Gray (groin) is unlikely to return until September.
Mahle has spent seven seasons in the majors — the first 5 1/2 for the Cincinnati Reds before being traded to the Twins at the deadline in 2022. He had a career-best season in 2021 when he went 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts for the Reds.
Giving good innings to the Rangers is his lone goal on Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game set between heated American League West rivals.
“As long as I try to not do too much out on the mound, that’s when I’ve been at my best,” Mahle said. “I’m just going to try to remember that and not get ahead of myself and do what I know I can do. Just try to make pitches.”
The Rangers won the series opener 4-3 on Monday when Josh Smith belted a two-run, two-out homer in the bottom of the 10th inning. Smith said it was his first walk-off homer at any level.
“That’s pretty cool, and then to do it against the rival and division team is pretty sweet,” Smith said.
Corey Seager hit his fourth homer over the past four games for Texas, which won for just the third time in 10 games.
Houston also is struggling, having lost six times in the past eight games.
In the series opener, the Astros went ahead in the top of the 10th on consecutive hit batters before seeing Smith send one into orbit in the bottom half of the frame.
“That’s baseball. Sometimes you got to tip your hat,” said Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, who homered on Monday. “Seager took a really good swing on a good pitch and Smith took a great swing as well.”
The Astros have scored just seven runs in their past four games, and they lost the past three.
Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (10-5, 3.56 ERA) is looking to win his sixth consecutive decision.
He is 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last seven starts. Valdez struck out 10 in three of his past four outings.
Valdez, 30, defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in his latest turn when he gave up four runs and six hits over six innings on Wednesday. He hadn’t allowed that many earned runs since yielding five to the San Francisco Giants on June 12.
Valdez is 7-5 with a 2.90 ERA in 16 career regular-season appearances (13 starts) against Texas. This will be his first outing against the Astros this season and he will look to atone for going 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA against the Rangers in last season’s American League Championship Series.
Marcus Semien is 8-for-29 (.276) with two homers off Valdez during the regular season.
–Field Level Media