Rangers Place Garcia on Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation
The Texas Rangers have been forced to make a bullpen adjustment after placing reliever Garcia on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to inflammation in his left shoulder.
Garcia had not pitched in a game for the past week while dealing with discomfort in the shoulder, and after monitoring the issue over several days, the Rangers ultimately decided an injured list stint was the best course of action. The move allows the team to give the reliever additional time to recover while opening a roster spot for bullpen depth in the meantime.
Under league rules, Garcia will be eligible to return from the injured list on May 5, though the organization has not indicated whether it expects him to be ready immediately once that date arrives. Much will depend on how his shoulder responds to treatment and whether he can resume throwing without setbacks in the coming days.
Garcia’s absence represents a notable loss for the Rangers’ bullpen, as he has been one of the club’s key late-inning options when healthy. Shoulder injuries for pitchers can often be unpredictable, so the Rangers are expected to proceed cautiously with his recovery timeline rather than rushing him back before he is fully ready.
With Garcia sidelined, Jakob Junis is expected to continue serving as Texas’ primary closer. Junis has already handled much of the ninth-inning workload this season and now appears set to remain in that role for the foreseeable future.
The Rangers have leaned heavily on Junis in high-leverage situations this year, and his versatility and reliability have helped stabilize the back end of the bullpen during Garcia’s absence. His continued success will be critical as Texas navigates the next few weeks without one of its top relievers.
Garcia’s placement on the injured list comes after the Rangers initially hoped rest alone might allow him to avoid missing extended time. However, with the issue lingering for more than a week and no clear sign of immediate improvement, the team chose to make the move official rather than continue operating with a short-handed bullpen.
While no long-term concerns have been announced at this point, shoulder inflammation can sometimes be a precursor to more serious pitching injuries if not managed carefully. As a result, the Rangers will likely take a conservative approach with Garcia’s rehabilitation process to ensure the issue does not worsen.
For now, the club will need others in the bullpen to step up and help fill the void. In addition to Junis handling closing duties, Texas may look to rely more heavily on its setup men and middle relievers to cover important innings until Garcia returns.
The Rangers remain hopeful the injury will prove minor and that Garcia can rejoin the bullpen shortly after his eligibility date. But until then, Texas will continue moving forward with Junis anchoring the ninth inning and the bullpen operating under an adjusted late-game structure.
Garcia’s health will be something to monitor closely over the next week, especially if the Rangers remain in the thick of the playoff race and need their bullpen at full strength. For now, the priority is getting the reliever healthy and ensuring he can return without risking further shoulder trouble later in the season.
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