Top Rangers Pitching Prospect Has Arm Fatigue

Texas' No. 1 prospect will take a start off and spend some time on the Frisco RoughRiders development list

Jack Leiter, the Texas Rangers’ No. 1 prospect, will miss his next scheduled start due to mild arm fatigue, per a report by MLB.com.

Leiter was scheduled to start later this week. The Rangers will put him on the development list. The Rangers don’t anticipate that Leiter will have long-term issues.

Leiter has now made 13 starts this season and has a 2-6 record in 48 2/3 innings pitched, with 60 strikeouts and 28 walks. He has a 5.36 ERA.

The move comes on the heels of Leiter’s last start against the Arkansas Travelers, where he threw four innings and gave up two hits and two runs. He also walked five and struck out four.

The walks are a trend that Leiter is trying to manage. That start was his third straight in which he threw at least four innings but walked at least three.

Leiter, who is MLB.com’s No. 15 overall prospect, received a no-decision for his effort.

In his previous start against Double-A Midland, Leiter also only gave up two hits. But he also gave up five runs, only one of which was earned. He walked four and struck out six while taking the loss.

Leiter has essentially wrapped up his third month of professional baseball. He is 0-2 in four starts with a 6.43 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 13 walks.

Entering June, Leiter was on an upturn. Against Wichita on May 31, he struck out seven, didn’t give up a run and allowed four hits. He threw 93 pitches before he left the game in the seventh inning. That was his last victory.

The start before that, on May 26 against San Antonio, he gave up three hits in five innings, while walking one and striking out five.

From a numbers standpoint, Leiter’s best overall month was April, during which he went 0-2 with a 2.84 ERA, giving up 10 runs (four earned) and striking out 19. He also walked nine.

For May, Leiter went 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA, giving up just six walks but striking out 25.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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