The Texas Rangers have brought veteran pitcher Patrick Corbin back to the major leagues. The 35-year-old left-hander, a two-time All-Star and former Cy Young finalist, was promoted to the active roster on Friday to fill in for Jack Leiter, who was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a blister on his right middle finger. Corbin, who signed with the Rangers on a one-year deal in mid-March, is set to make his debut next week against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Although Corbin didn’t pitch during spring training and had been building up at Triple-A Round Rock, Leiter’s injury forced an earlier-than-expected call-up. Corbin, who was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2009, has had a successful career, posting a 103-131 record with a 4.51 ERA over 12 seasons. From 2011 to 2019, Corbin was one of the league’s top starting pitchers, accumulating a 16.2 bWAR and a 3.80 ERA.
However, his performance dropped significantly in recent years, with a 5.62 ERA over the past five seasons. Despite his struggles, Corbin received a standing ovation from Nationals fans in his final start for Washington last September. Now, he’ll look to prove if he still has something left to offer with the Rangers.
