Rangers Spring Training Preview: Dane Dunning

Dane Dunning was a Rangers starter for most of the 2022 season, but he'll have to fight for a role on the 2023 staff.

InsidetheRangers.com previews each of the players on the Texas Rangers 40-man roster going into Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona.

P Dane Dunning

In 2022: Dunning made the Rangers’ Opening Day roster and was a member of the starting rotation for most of the season. He made one trip to the injured list from July 11-July 26 with a right ankle impingement. From there, he pitched until he was moved to the injured list on Sept. 27 to have right hip surgery, which ended his season.

Dunning did start at least 25 games for the second straight season, and he set career highs in several categories, including pitching more than 150 innings for the first time. But he also gave up a career-high 20 home runs. His overall record, ERA and opponent batting average didn’t change much from 2021 to 2022.

Last season he went 4-8 with a 4.46 ERA in 29 games. He threw 153 1/3 innings, giving up 158 hits, 80 runs (76 earned), 20 home runs and 62 walks. He struck out 137. Batters hit .268 against him and he had a 1.43 WHIP.

Consistency was his biggest issue. Dunning would have a solid outing and follow it with a sub-par outing that didn’t adequately protect the bullpen.

Dunning’s Career at a Glance: Dunning was a first-round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2016 out of the University of Florida. He ended up with the Chicago White Sox, and was one of the players acquired by the Rangers in the Lance Lynn trade before the 2021 season. Dunning is 11-18 with a 4.43 ERA in three Major League seasons.

Contract Status: Dunning is in pre-arbitration. He cannot go to salary arbitration until 2024 and is not a free-agent until 2027. He is likely to make the league minimum in 2023.

In Surprise: First, the Rangers need to make sure that Dunning is fully recovered from hip surgery. Since he went to the injured list, plenty has changed. The Rangers acquired four veteran starting pitchers — Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Eovaldi. The Rangers also managed to keep ace Martín Pérez for another season. That leaves little, if any room, for Dunning in a rotation that he’s been a part of the past two years. His job in Surprise will be to impress the Rangers enough to keep him on the staff as a reliever. If he can’t, then it’s either off to Triple-A Round Rock or he could be trade bait for a bat or more relief pitching. Dunning has good stuff and the Rangers like his makeup as a pitcher. But he has to become more consistent.

2023 Texas Rangers 40-Man Spring Training Previews:

Joe Barlow | John King |

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