DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Rangers delivered lots of news on Monday, headlined by Rougned Odor being designated for assignment. But some news involving two different players will have a greater impact on the club this season.
Rangers general manager Chris Young informed the media that the worst has come true for closer Jose Leclerc, who will undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the next 12-15 months while he recovers.
Leclerc, 27, had been battling elbow soreness since last week, so the news isn't a complete surprise. He only threw two innings last season after he strained his right teres muscle. Prior to last season, Leclerc carried a 3.16 ERA in 187 innings of work.
Texas signed Leclerc to a four-year, $14.75 million extension before the 2019 season. He has one guaranteed season left on his contract, and the club holds a $6 million option on him for the 2023 season and a $6.25 million option on him for the 2024 season.
Additionally, Young announced that reliever Jonathan Hernandez will have an MRI on his elbow. The right-hander was shut down nearly three weeks ago after experiencing some soreness in the elbow. On March 9, Young said Hernandez suffered a sprained UCL and would be shut down for the next four weeks in order to determine the next course of action. The club is still hopeful that he'll be able to avoid a procedure and can return at the end of May.
To sum it all up, this is bad news for the Rangers. The club will now turn to Matt Bush and Ian Kennedy to fill their roles at the back end of the bullpen.
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