Texas Rangers Decision to Make on Thursday Starter

While the Texas Rangers have set the rotation for the first three games of their series with the Detroit game, the finale is a question.

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Starting Nathan Eovaldi on Sunday in the 5-3 loss gave the rest of the rotation a bit of extra rest as the Texas Rangers try to navigate the next 14 games without an off-day.

Will the Rangers return the favor to Eovaldi later this week?

When the Rangers slotted Eovaldi into the New York Yankees finale on normal rest, it allowed Texas to push Andrew Heaney and Martín Pérez back a day.

Now Heaney (5-4, 3.98) will start Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers having last pitched against the Chicago White Sox a week ago. He’ll throw against left-hander Matthew Boyd (5-5, 5.37)

The same goes for Pérez (7-3, 4.38) on Tuesday after having last thrown Wednesday against Chicago. The Tigers haven’t announced their starter for Tuesday.

That puts Dunning (6-1, 2.76) in line to start Wednesday on normal rest, having last gone Friday against the Yankees. The Tigers will throw a left-hander, Joey Wentz (1-8, 6.72)

But what about Thursday? In the Rangers’ game notes, the starter is TBA.

The starter won’t be Eovaldi. He’ll need another day of rest.

Jon Gray — Saturday’s starter at New York — would be ready on normal rest.

The wild card in all of this Cody Bradford.

The left-hander hasn’t pitched since June 13 when he started in place of Gray, who was experiencing a blister issue. Yet, Bradford is still on the 26-man roster.

Thursday could be the day that Bradford makes an appearance. Why?

By starting Bradford in the finale against the Tigers, the Rangers could push Gray to Friday — giving him an extra day of rest — and do the same for Eovaldi.

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