Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 13-1 loss to the Mariners.
Smith's ninth-inning blast off Troy Taylor kept the Rangers from getting shut out, but that was about the only positive they could take from the game. Smith had gone just 5-for-28 (.179) over nine contests since his last homer against the Athletics on April 22. The utility player has slowed down a bit but still has a .296/.380/.457 slash line over 93 plate appearances this season. He's added three homers, seven RBI, 14 runs scored, four stolen bases and four doubles in 27 games.
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Rangers' Jack Leiter: Takes first loss
Rotowire
Leiter (2-1) allowed six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.1 innings, taking the loss Friday versus the Mariners.
Leiter was doing alright initially, but he started to falter when he allowed a solo shot to Cal Raleigh in the fourth inning. Raleigh added a grand slam in the fifth as the Mariners batted around, knocking Leiter from the game. Those were the first two homers the 25-year-old right-hander has allowed across four starts this season. He's failed to complete five innings in each of his last two outings following a stint on the injured list due to a blister on his right middle finger. He's now at a 4.58 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB across 17.2 innings this season. Leiter will have some ups and downs as a young pitcher finding his footing in the majors. He's projected to make his next start on the road in Boston.
The Rangers recalled Ornelas from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
The 24-year-old will fill the roster spot of Nick Ahmed, who was designated for assignment Friday. Ornelas will provide some infield depth with Corey Seager (hamstring) on the injured list, but it'll be Josh Smith operating as the regular shortstop.
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Rangers' Nick Ahmed: Designated for assignment
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The Rangers designated Ahmed for assignment Friday.
Ahmed's removal from the 40-man roster clears a spot for the addition of Blaine Crim. The veteran shortstop is hitless in 10 plate appearances during his time with the big club this season.
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Rangers' Jake Burger: Demotion to minors now official
Rotowire
The Rangers optioned Burger to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Burger has hit just .190 with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate across his first 108 plate appearances this season, so the Rangers have elected to send him to Round Rock for a while to get his swing in order. The expectation is that he will eventually regain his starting job at first base with the big club, but there's no timeline for what that might happen. For now, the Rangers could use a combination of Blaine Crim, Josh Smith, Joc Pederson and Dustin Harris at first base.
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Rangers' Blaine Crim: Officially added to roster
Rotowire
The Rangers selected Crim's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Crim has slashed .313/.365/.565 with seven home runs this season at Round Rock, although it's his third year there and he will turn 28 next month. He could see regular reps at first base while Jake Burger tries to get his swing straightened out at Round Rock.
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Rangers' Ty Blach: Gets MiLB pact from Rangers
Rotowire
The Rangers signed Blach to a minor-league contract Friday.
Blach has been assigned to the Rangers' Arizona Complex League affiliate for now but should eventually moved up to Triple-A Round Rock. The left-hander made 12 starts and eight relief appearances for the Rockies last season, posting a 6.94 ERA and 36:18 K:BB over 71.1 frames.
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Rangers' Marcus Semien: Getting better
Rotowire
Semien went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Athletics.
Like several Texas hitters Semien is off to a slow start, but he's coming around. Thursday's single extended his hit streak to six games, during which he's batting .400 with a .520 on-base percentage. Since being dropped from leadoff to the fifth spot in the batting order, Semien has a .787 OPS over 10 games compared to .401 in 21 games atop the order.
Rangers' Tyler Mahle: Takes loss despite quality start
Rotowire
Mahle (3-1) came away with the loss against the Athletics on Thursday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.
Mahle gave up an RBI single to Miguel Andujar in the first inning, but the former stranded baserunners on the corners to limit the damage to one run. Mahle retired 12 straight batters over the next five scoreless frames, but he was still tagged with the loss as the Rangers' bats fell silent against Jeffrey Springs and the A's bullpen. Mahle has four quality starts over his last five outings, and his 1.19 ERA over 37.2 innings is tied with Max Fried for second best in the majors behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1.06) among qualified starters. Mahle is lined up to face the Red Sox at Fenway Park next week.
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Rangers' Blaine Crim: Set to join big-league roster
Rotowire
Crim will have his contract selected by the Rangers on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Crim spent all of the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Triple-A Round Rock and posted .391 and .382 wOBAs, respectively. He doesn't have much prospect pedigree and isn't likely to be long for the majors as a replacement for Jake Burger, though Crim should see occasional playing time in the short term.
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Rangers' Jake Burger: Demoted to minors
Rotowire
Burger will be optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Burger has gotten off to a dreadful start in his first season with the Rangers, hitting just .190 with a 29.6 percent strikeout rate across 108 plate appearances. Nevertheless, his demotion comes as a significant surprise. Rosenthal reports that Burger's time in the minors should be short and is viewed as a way for him to reset.
Taveras is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Though Taveras looks to have a hold on the strong side of a platoon in center field, he'll hit the bench Thursday while the Athletics send southpaw Jeffrey Springs to the bump. Kevin Pillar (back) will be back in action Thursday and will replace Taveras in center.
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Rangers' Joc Pederson: Out of lineup against lefty
Rotowire
Pederson is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Pederson will sit for the third time in the four-game series while the Athletics send another southpaw (Jeffrey Springs) to the hill. With Pederson on the bench, Jonah Heim will serve as the Rangers' designated hitter.
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Rangers' Josh Smith: Idle against lefty
Rotowire
Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
The left-handed-hitting Smith will retreat to the bench for the series finale while the Athletics send southpaw Jeffrey Springs to the hill. Nick Ahmed will step in at shortstop in place of Smith, who had been included in the lineup in each of the last seven games while batting .192 with no extra-base hits and a stolen base.
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Rangers' Kevin Pillar: Cleared to start Thursday
Rotowire
Pillar (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff in Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Pillar hadn't played since Monday due to a sore back, but he'll be back in the lineup while the Rangers wrap up their four-game set against the Athletics with a matchup against southpaw Jeffrey Springs. Leody Taveras is expected to continue serving as the Rangers' primary center fielder, though Pillar will usually replace him when Texas faces left-handed pitching.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Throwing from 90 feet
Rotowire
Bradford (elbow) threw from 90 feet on flat ground this week, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The left-hander will begin throwing breaking balls next week and believes he will be ready to throw off a mound within the next three weeks. That timeline suggests Bradford will not be back before the end of May, but he is making progress. The southpaw is on the 60-day injured list and working his way back from a left elbow sprain.
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Rangers' Jon Gray: To begin light throwing
Rotowire
Gray (wrist) has been cleared to do some light throwing next week, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Gray received clearance after getting good results from an X-ray earlier this week. It will be a slow and steady progression for the right-hander as he works his way back from a fractured right wrist. Gray doesn't have a timetable, but a return before the All-Star break seems unlikely.
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