Injured List Led to Josh Sborz Postseason Resurgence for Texas Rangers

After spending most of September on the injured list, Josh Sborz made the adjustments needed to thrive out of the bullpen during the Texas Rangers' playoff run.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Sborz was on the injured list. The Texas Rangers were on a road trip. His wife had just had a baby. He needed a breath. But he also need to get right.

So, for four days at Globe Life Field in September, Sborz got on the mound with the team’s Trackman watching his every move. Sborz was in a funk and he knew it. The Houston Astros just blasted him for six runs in less than an inning on Sept. 4, just before going on the injured list.

He felt command wasn’t the problem. Even when he pitched poorly, command wasn’t the issue.

After four days, he and the Rangers figured it out. It was his pitch shapes. They were off. They weren’t off by much, but they were off just enough to undermine his command.

“I just had to get my hand in the right place,” Sborz said Thursday in advance of Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field. “It was a real subtle adjustment, but I just couldn’t feel it. So I needed someone else to tell me.”

The Rangers face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Fall Classic opener Friday night at 7:03 p.m. Nathan Eovaldi is starting for Texas opposite Zac Gallen.

Texas Rangers reliever Josh Sborz has a 1.04 ERA during the playoffs / © Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Since Sborz returned on Sept. 29, he’s been money.

He gave up one hit and no runs in 2 2/3 innings in his final two regular-season games. In the postseason he’s been exceptional, throwing 8 2/3 innings and allowing two hits and one run (1.04 ERA), while striking out seven and walking four.

Sborz’s evolution this season has been a roller coaster. At one point this season, many Rangers fans on Twitter wanted to designate Sborz for assignment, especially after his 15.19 ERA in July.

They seemed to forget his 3-0 record and 0.55 ERA in June. But that’s the nature of being a reliever.

“You never want your name to be brought up in a conversation about how you pitched that night because that only usually happens when you pitch poorly,” Sborz said.

Sborz had to get to know a new manager Bruce Bochy and new pitching coach Mike Maddux this season.

Maddux knew nothing about Sborz when he arrived back in Arlington. Back in July, after Sborz had his exceptional June, he said that Sborz had “three plus-plus pitches” when he’s clicking.

Rangers fans are seeing that type of Sborz in October.

“The hitters are letting us know that,” Maddux said. “He’s one of the big reasons we’re here, bottom line.”

Sborz’s postseason took an auspicious turn in Baltimore in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. He arrived in the seventh inning and looked uneven. A couple of pitches to Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks went in the dirt. Same with infielder Adam Frazier.

Then the command came back as he struck out Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn.

Sborz didn’t lose it. He couldn’t see it, as in the plate. The sun was positioned in such a way as it was in his eyes.

Not that Sborz would tell anyone that. But Maddux noticed it.

“You couldn’t see it unless you were at field level, but the sun was right in his eyes,” Maddux. “So one pitch goes in the dirt, then another one goes in the dirt. And the sun moves pretty quickly and after about two minutes, the sun was out of his eyes and he could see.

“But it was starting off a little squirrely. I’m sitting there saying, ‘Goodness gracious, that’s not fair.’ He made no excuses. I told him ‘You sure got better when the sun got out of your eyes.’ He goes, ‘You saw that?’ I said, ‘Oh yeah.’ He said, ‘Yeah I got blinded.’”

Yet, he got out of the inning and passed the game to Aroldis Chapman in the eighth.

In this postseason, Sborz has become the bridge from the starter to the back end of the bullpen, as Jose Leclerc has emerged as the closer in the ninth inning.

But it’s been a three-year evolution to get here. Maddux has accelerated the process.

“I kind of sold out to having really good stuff the past two years to get everybody out and you just can’t do that,” Sborz said. “I think just bringing back the, I mean, it’s sad to say but the old-school mentality, commanding the ball through different pitches. It just keeps you centered on that and focused on just getting outs so it doesn’t matter how you do it.”

Lately, Sborz can do it any way he wants — it all leads to the same thing. Outs.

World Seriously?

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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