Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc is expected to miss significant time this season due to an elbow injury, general manager Chris Young said Monday.
Leclerc, a favorite to serve as closer for the Rangers, is scheduled to undergo tests with Dr. Keith Meister after feeling discomfort following an appearance against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The right-hander has allowed seven hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings this spring after missing the bulk of last season with a shoulder ailment.
“Given the injury he’s coming off last year, our buildup of Jose this spring has been a little bit slower,” Young said. “We’ve been very cautious with him; everything has gone smoothly. No elbow issues whatsoever until the other night. It was really out of the blue, so we were all really kind of caught off guard.”
Leclerc, 27, was 2-4 with a 4.33 ERA and 14 saves in 70 appearances in 2019. He first saw extended time as a closer in 2018, when he finished with a 1.56 ERA in 59 games.
Another candidate for closer in Texas, Jonathan Hernandez, is currently sidelined indefinitely by a ligament sprain in his right elbow sustained earlier this month.
–Field Level Media