ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers swapped right-handed relievers on the 15-day injured list on Saturday, placing Jakob Junis on the IL with a right hip impingement and activating 40-year-old Chris Martin after his second stint out because of a right shoulder issue.
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young also said left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks would have season-ending surgery for a flexor tendon strain. Beeks was close to being activated from the IL after being out since June 10 with lower back spasms when he started having elbow soreness during his rehab.
Junis has been one of the team's most reliable relievers, going 1-1 with five saves and a 2.80 ERA over 35 1/3 innings in 31 appearances. Young expressed hope that Junis would be out for only the 15-day period.
Martin, who is 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA in 12 games this season, missed 31 games from mid-April to mid-May and then 30 more games that included all of June because of a right shoulder impingement. Beeks was 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 appearances.
The shuffling of relievers came on the same day that right-handed starter Jack Leiter said he felt good in his recovery and hoped to pitch again this season after arthroscopic surgery June 23 to remove an extra but unneeded bone from behind his right ankle bone.