Rangers right-hander Cal Quantrill was removed in the second inning on Saturday against the Blue Jays with right lat tightness, the team announced. As Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News pointed out, Quantrill’s last fastball clocked in at 87.8 mph. He normally sits 93-94 mph with the heater.

Quantrill dealt with back tightness in his last outing. He was cleared to start this weekend, but only lasted four outs. The sharp dip in fastball velocity prompted a visit from manager Skip Schumaker and the trainer. Schumaker then made the move to bring in lefty Jordan Montgomery.

An abbreviated outing for Quantrill is a tough blow for the Rangers. The club had to use seven pitchers on Thursday against Boston, including Montgomery. Kumar Rocker only went 4 2/3 last night, though Trevor Williams was able to cover four innings out of the bullpen. Lefty Adam Macko was recalled today. He gives Schumaker a fresh arm.

Quantrill has been an unexpectedly critical piece for the Rangers as they try to hang in the AL Wild Card race. The veteran has a crisp 2.90 ERA across 31 appearances (14 starts). Quantrill had ripped off six straight quality starts before his early departure tonight.

Here’s more from around the AL West…

• Astros infielder Carlos Correa is expected to be ready to go for the 2027 campaign. His comeback attempt from ankle surgery ended earlier this week. Correa told Chandler Rome of The Athletic that trying to return this season could’ve affected his status for next season. “I was very hopeful, feeling great, in great baseball shape,” Correa said. “The tendon was not where it needed to be yet. … (The doctor) couldn’t guarantee me that pushing through it, nothing would happen on the field.”
• Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott will make the jump to Triple-A, per McFarland. The 20-year-old has missed the majority of the season after having an internal brace procedure in February. Walcott has slashed .322/.398/.586 in 37 games at Double-A this year. He’s unlikely to help Texas this season, but he’ll be firmly in the 2027 plans, assuming health.
• Astros left-hander Steven Okert is not expected to return during the regular season, relays Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The reliever won’t progress to mound work until next week. He’s working his way back from a hamstring injury. Okert leads the team with 21 holds and 68 appearances. He’ll set his sights on a postseason return.
• Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel had a setback during his rehab assignment and is likely done for the year, manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters, including Jack Janes of the Sporting Tribune. Schanuel was recovering from an intercostal strain. He put together another above-league-average campaign at the plate, finishing with a 111 wRC+ over 446 plate appearances.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images