Rangers Make Unexpected Jack Leiter Roster Decision
The Texas Rangers are going to be without a key member of their starting rotation for the next couple of weeks.
Before Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres, the Rangers placed starter Jack Leiter on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle posterior impingement. Right-handed pitcher Jose Corniell was called up in a corresponding move and could be a candidate to replace Leiter in the rotation.
The ankle injury appears to be one Leiter has been dealing with for some time, as Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News noted it has been impacting his delivery.
The Rangers are placing Jack Leiter on the injured list with an ankle injury. It had been impacting his delivery. Jose Corniell will take his place.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) June 21, 2026
Leiter has had a rough season overall, but his last three starts have been particularly concerning. During that stretch, he logged 13.2 innings while allowing 15 earned runs on 20 hits with seven walks.
Overall, Leiter owns a 5.29 ERA across 80 innings with a 1.44 WHIP and a 0.6 fWAR.
Unfortunately, the struggles have continued a disappointing trend for the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. After dominating at the collegiate level, Leiter endured a difficult transition to professional baseball and struggled throughout the minor leagues.
His major league debut in 2024 did little to change that narrative. Leiter posted an 8.83 ERA over 35.2 innings while battling command issues.
Last season, however, he looked like he was finally turning the corner. In 29 starts, Leiter went 10-10 with a 3.86 ERA over 151.2 innings and a 4.15 FIP. That performance gave Rangers fans hope that the now 26-year-old was ready for a breakout campaign.
Instead, a difficult start to this season and now an ankle injury have put those expectations on hold. Leiter will have to wait a little longer to rediscover the form that once made him one of baseball's top pitching prospects.
This marks the Rangers' second pitching injury scare in as many days. The club scratched Nathan Eovaldi from his scheduled start on Saturday because of knee soreness. Fortunately for Texas, Eovaldi is now slated to start today's series finale against San Diego.
The Rangers have battled injuries throughout the season but remain firmly in the playoff race. They sit two games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West and 1.5 games behind the Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays for the final American League Wild Card spot.
While Leiter is sidelined, Texas will need its offense to provide more support for a pitching staff with limited depth.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 10:25 AM.