The Texas Rangers received an unwelcome reminder of how thin their pitching depth has become as they try to squeeze into the postseason for the first time since 2023.
Right-hander Cal Quantrill lasted only one out into the second inning Saturday night against the Toronto Blue Jays before leaving with right lat tightness.
He had been one of the more reliable arms in the Texas rotation over the past six weeks, turning in six consecutive quality starts heading into the matchup.
The early exit forced manager Skip Schumaker to turn the game over to the bullpen almost immediately, a scenario the club has faced too often in September.
Texas still found a way to win, beating Toronto 6-2 at Globe Life Field and improving to 78-77. The victory moved the Rangers into sole possession of first place in the American League West, a half-game ahead of the Houston Astros, who also sit at 77-77.
Quantrill finished the night having thrown just 12 pitches.
“Cal Quantrill is exiting the game with a trainer after one out in the second inning,” Rangers writer Shawn McFarland posted on X.
It marked the second time in recent days the 31-year-old had been forced from a start early. He left his previous outing in Arizona because of back tightness.
Quantrill is 9-5 this season with a 2.90 ERA, 81 strikeouts and a 1.05 WHIP in his first full year with Texas.
The Rangers selected his contract in April after he signed a minor-league deal in the offseason. He had spent parts of 2025 with Miami, Atlanta and Texas before returning.
Texas now faces a short turnaround and a shrinking number of remaining games. An MRI is scheduled for Sunday morning to determine the severity of the lat issue.
Schumaker said after the game that the club would wait for imaging results before deciding Quantrill’s next step.
The bullpen covered the rest of Saturday’s contest, with Jordan Montgomery earning the win after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Josh Jung homered in the first inning and Wyatt Langford added an RBI double as Texas built an early lead that held up. Toronto dropped to 76-79 and sits well back in the AL East and wild-card picture.
The Rangers have eight games left, including the remainder of this series with the Blue Jays. Every outing now carries extra weight as they try to hold off Houston and stay in the wild-card mix.
Quantrill’s availability for the final week of the regular season, and potentially beyond, remains unclear until the MRI results are known.
Texas has already dealt with a string of pitching absences this month, making the latest setback especially poorly timed.
