Quietly pitching well Leclerc struck out two over a scoreless relief inning in Thursday's 7-5 loss to the Twins. Impact The Rangers' bullpen has been shaky during the team's seven-game losing streak, and it blew another lead Thursday. None of that is on Leclerc, the one-time closer who has a 1.53 ERA over 17.2 innings since coming off the injured list in early July. More importantly, he's limited the base on balls with just four walks (2.0 BB/9) during that stretch. Before landing on the IL, Leclerc walked 15 batters over 25 previous innings (5.4 BB/9). If Texas manager Bruce Bochy moves on from Will Smith as the team's closer, Aroldis Chapman could emerge as the primary closer, but Leclerc's sterling work could put him back into end-game consideration.
AUGUST 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE