Headlines

  • Rhys Hoskins Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Undergo Surgery
  • Jed Lowrie Announces Retirement
  • Jose Altuve To Miss About Two Months Due To Thumb Surgery
  • Rockies Sign Jurickson Profar
  • Braves Option Vaughn Grissom, Braden Shewmake
  • Jose Altuve Leaves WBC Game After Hit By Pitch
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rangers Place Ian Kennedy On Injured List, Select Spencer Patton

By Steve Adams | June 9, 2021 at 11:27am CDT

The Rangers announced Wednesday that they’ve placed right-hander Ian Kennedy on the 10-day injured list due to a “mild” hamstring strain and selected the contract of right-hander Spencer Patton from Triple-A Round Rock in his place. Texas already had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so an additional corresponding move is not necessary. Patton will be in the club’s bullpen for today’s game.

Kennedy, 36, has proven to be one of the best minor league signings in all of baseball this season. He inked a non-guaranteed pact with an invite to Spring Training and parlayed a strong showing there into a $2.15MM base salary. He’s not only justified that modest investment, he’s thrived as one of the game’s more effective late-inning relievers. Kennedy has pitched 21 1/3 innings and racked up 12 saves to go along with a 2.53 ERA, a hefty 29.8 percent strikeout rate and a tidy 8.3 percent walk rate.

That standout performance, coupled with a generally poor performance from the team as a whole, makes Kennedy one of the most obvious trade candidates on this summer’s market. Texas has dropped nine of its past ten games, falling to 16 games south of the .500 mark and 13 games back of the division-leading Athletics. As such, it’s good news for the Rangers that Kennedy is dealing with only a “mild” strain. While a timeline for his return wasn’t provided, the mild nature of the injury should allow him to return long before the July 30 trade deadline.

As for Patton, today’s promotion will mark the culmination of a nearly five-year journey back to the big leagues. A 24th-round pick of the Royals back in 2011, Patton made his MLB debut as a Ranger in 2014 and spent parts of the next three seasons as an up-and-down member of the bullpen for both the Rangers and Cubs.

From there, Patton went on to spend four seasons pitching with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The righty was one of NPB’s best relievers in 2017-18 before struggling, in part due to injury, in 2019-20. Even with the downturn in his final two years in Japan, however, Patton’s overall NPB track record was strong: 205 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball with a 27.4 percent strikeout rate against a 9.5 percent walk rate.

Patton returned to the Rangers on a minor league deal of his own this winter, and he’s fired off 12 scoreless innings to begin his season in Round Rock. He’s walked six hitters, which clearly isn’t ideal, but has also yielded only six hits and whiffed a dozen of the 45 batters he’s faced. He’ll now get the chance to prove that the gains he appeared to make in NPB are sustainable here at the game’s top level in North America. Patton turned 33 back in February, so if he is indeed able to replicate his NPB success here in MLB, he could have several years remaining as a productive, late-inning reliever — be it with the Rangers or with another club.

Share 0 Retweet 42 Send via email0

Kansas City Royals Texas Rangers Transactions Ian Kennedy Spencer Patton

Rangers Designate Khris Davis For Assignment
Main
Giants Designate Matt Wisler For Assignment
View Comments (13)

Comments

  1. cryptonerd

    2 years ago

    This year’s trade market was already thin on pitching.

    Now every GM has to be asking, how many of these guys will regress without sticky grip.

    Reply
    • Cey Hey

      2 years ago

      The way pitchers are going down, prospective sellers should not be waiting until the deadline to move guys. The sticky thing is another reason why. Bad and rebuilding teams need to trade these relievers asap. Since they have limited trade value to begin with, why risk them losing all their value with an injury?

      Reply
      • mlbnyyfan

        2 years ago

        That’s too bad about Kennedy. Texas was probably hoping to get some prospects for him at TD. Gallo, Kennedy, Gibson, Holt, etc. Do Rangers have anyone untouchable. Even Garcia he’s pushing 30 so if they could get some top prospects he’s expendable too. They are in full-time rebuild.

        Reply
        • Cey Hey

          2 years ago

          Guys like Kennedy and Gibson have done the Rangers a major favor by accruing some trade value. Garcia is an interesting one. All those years of club control, yet baseball logic tells us his prime is now and the Rangers won’t be winning while he’s in it. Just 10 walks and 58 strikeouts. This will likely be the best time to cash him in.

        • bobtillman

          2 years ago

          The BROCKSTAH’s available??????? Call Bloom right away.

        • lordd99

          2 years ago

          Kennedy is not dead. Ian, I mean. The trade deadline is in seven weeks. Mild strain.

        • Fever Pitch Guy

          2 years ago

          Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

    • lordd99

      2 years ago

      I’m guessing all of them. What pitchers don’t use sticky grips? Maybe sinker ball pitchers as I believe less spin helps sink. I might be misremembering that.

      Reply
  2. Captain Dunsel

    2 years ago

    Patton is getting his chance, by George.

    Reply
  3. tsc32

    2 years ago

    Just our luck having one of our best trade chips hit the IL right now.

    Reply
  4. rangerfan4ever

    2 years ago

    You can’t keep trading away everyone that is having a good season or we will continue this process forever. Selling at the deadline every year is insane.

    Reply
  5. Sonny 3

    2 years ago

    Give Cashner a shot. He did good the one year he was a Ranger.

    Reply
  6. Sonny 3

    2 years ago

    Cashner would be good in the bullpen.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Rhys Hoskins Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Undergo Surgery

    Jed Lowrie Announces Retirement

    Jose Altuve To Miss About Two Months Due To Thumb Surgery

    Rockies Sign Jurickson Profar

    Braves Option Vaughn Grissom, Braden Shewmake

    Jose Altuve Leaves WBC Game After Hit By Pitch

    Edwin Diaz Undergoes Surgery To Repair Patellar Tendon

    Out Of Options 2023

    Cade Cavalli To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Edwin Diaz Helped Off Field With Right Knee Injury

    José Quintana Out Until At Least July Due To Rib Surgery

    Trevor Bauer Signs With NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars

    Craig Stammen “Highly Unlikely” To Pitch Again Following Shoulder Injury

    Diamondbacks, Corbin Carroll Agree To Eight-Year Deal

    Nationals Sign Keibert Ruiz To Eight-Year Extension

    Rockies Showing Interest In Jurickson Profar

    Andrew Painter Diagnosed With UCL Sprain; Ranger Suarez Dealing With Forearm Tightness

    Marlins, Jose Iglesias Agree To Minor League Contract

    Marlins In Agreement With Yuli Gurriel On Minor League Deal

    Carlos Rodon, Tommy Kahnle, Lou Trivino To Begin Season On IL

    Recent

    Red Sox Notes: Crawford, Mills, Wong, Tapia

    Offseason In Review: Miami Marlins

    Reds’ Luke Weaver, Lucas Sims Expected To Open Season On Injured List

    Rhys Hoskins Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Undergo Surgery

    Braves Option Michael Soroka

    Cubs Trade Esteban Quiroz To Phillies

    Tigers Sign Jose Alvarez To Minor League Deal

    Rhys Hoskins Carted Off Field Following Knee Injury

    James Outman, Jason Heyward Will Make Dodgers’ Opening Day Roster

    Cardinals Notes: Montgomery, Barrera, Knizner, Bullpen, Motter

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version