Texas Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter will miss significant time after undergoing surgery to remove a loose body from his right ankle, the team announced Tuesday
While the Rangers anticipate Leiter to return in 2026, a firm timeline remains unclear, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. However, he's expected to be out until at least August, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Leiter was placed on the injured list Sunday with what Texas called right ankle posterior impingement. He originally sustained the injury on April 22 when he tripped over a piece of equipment in the on-deck circle while backing up a throw at home plate.
(Video source: MLB.com)
The Rangers didn't remove Leiter from that start, and he continued to pitch through the issue until landing on the IL. The injury clearly affected his pitching lately, as Leiter allowed 15 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings over his three starts in June.
"Jack has not made it an issue. That speaks to his level of competitiveness," Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Sunday, according to The Associated Press. "He's not made excuses, but the reality is he's having to change his delivery to compensate for it. We cannot put him in harm's way. He's too important to our future."
Leiter, the second overall pick in 2021, enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2025 but has struggled to build on that success, in large part because of the ankle injury. The 26-year-old owns a 5.29 ERA, 4.76 FIP, and 1.44 WHIP along with 83 strikeouts and 35 walks across 15 starts this season.
Cal Quantrill entered the rotation in Leiter's place and got the start Tuesday against the Miami Marlins. Texas called up right-hander Jose Corniell after placing Leiter on the IL. Corniell was starting in Triple-A but is currently in the Rangers' bullpen.
Texas entered Tuesday with a 38-40 record, leaving the club one game back of the final AL wild-card spot and tied with the Athletics for second in the AL West.
