"It Means A Lot" Rangers' Taylor Hearn Makes a Triumphant Return to Seattle

After 486 days, Taylor Hearn returned to the mound where he made his Major League debut. This time, he walked off in triumph rather than defeat.

It's difficult to find the positives out of a 10-1 loss to a division rival sitting behind you in the standings. To add to the free fall that is the Texas Rangers' 2020 season, it was the team's seventh straight loss. 

In the Rangers' two losses in Seattle, starters Kolby Allard and Jordan Lyles pitched a combined 4 2/3 innings with 12 earned runs. On Friday, young hurlers Wes Benjamin and Kyle Cody flashed some of their potential in relief of Allard. On Saturday, Taylor Hearn followed suit in relief of Lyles with five strikeouts over two scoreless innings.

However, the box score doesn't tell the whole story—a story that was 486 days in the making.

"Tonight was a big night for Taylor Hearn," said teammate Jose Trevino after Saturday's loss to Seattle. "I don’t know if anybody knows that, I know that for sure. Mentally, coming back to a place where he didn’t do so well (and) walked off this field injured."

Saturday night was the first time Hearn took the mound in Seattle since April 25, 2019—his Major League debut. In case you don't remember, it wasn't a storybook debut. Hearn made his first career start, but only lasted 1/3 inning. He gave up three hits, walked four batters, and allowed five runs (four earned). In addition, Hearn suffered an elbow injury that derailed his entire 2019 season. 

On August 10, Hearn carried his career ERA of 108.00 to the mound at Globe Life Field against—you guessed it—the Seattle Mariners. Now, just 12 days later, he's had the chance to revisit the mound where a dream quickly turned into a nightmare. 

Back in Spring Training, Hearn told us that experience left a "sour taste" in his mouth. With everything now coming full circle, Hearn is focused more on the future than avenging his past.

"It means a lot," Hearn told SI's Inside The Rangers. "It was much needed. But as I've been getting more reps and starting to get more consistent, I've been getting my feel as well."

Hearn's fastball-slider combination gives the Rangers a dangerous left-handed option out of the bullpen. As Hearn has continued to take the mound, he's found better command of both pitches, which was on full display on Saturday night.

As the Rangers are being pushed to further consider their future rather than postseason aspirations here in 2020, Hearn remains in the discussion for a future spot in the starting rotation. 

"I haven't given up on that, I don't think we have as an organization," said Rangers manager Chris Woodward. "I still value him in that way, potentially long-term. And I know he does as well. I just want to make sure he gets comfortable in the big leagues right now. ...He's worked really hard to get to where he's at, and I don't want to ruin that and all of a sudden get something that he's not ready for yet."

Woodward also said if Hearn could add the changeup as an out pitch against right-handed hitters, he could be a strong candidate for a starting role in the long-term.

Hearn's Major League career is just getting started. That story has yet to be written. But Hearn can finally close this one with a happy ending.

"For him to come back and pitch as well as he did tonight, for me personally, that’s a big step in the right direction for him," Trevino said. "I think that’s awesome." 

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