Jack Leiter posts second straight solid start since return from Rangers developmental list

For Jack Leiter, it’s a start.

The Rangers’ former No. 2 overall pick has returned from the developmental list and posted another solid start on Sunday for the Double-A affiliate Frisco RoughRiders.

Leiter, who made his return on Aug. 27 and threw three innings of 1-run ball, followed that up on Sunday with 3.1 innings in his second start, again allowing one earned run while striking out seven. His fastball touched 99 miles per hour.

Perhaps most important to Leiter’s development: He’s walked just one batter in the 6.1 innings he’s pitched since returning.

Leiter, who was once the Rangers’ top pitching prospect after the club selected him second overall in the 2021 draft, struggled virtually from the moment he entered pro ball and has plateaued at the Double-A level. In 39 games (38 starts) with Frisco leading into Sunday, he had a 5-15 record and a 5.48 ERA. He’s walked 100 batters in 164.1 innings. He was placed on the developmental list on July 14, his second stint on the DL this season, to work on “mechanical adjustments.”

“We are not worried about him as a competitor,” Rangers GM Chris Young told The Dallas Morning News on August 11. “It’s a matter of fixing mechanics. His heart, drive and work ethic are off the charts. But if you’ve got mechanical limitations, there is only so much you can do at that moment.”

Young said Leiter is expected to make two more starts this season, but there is no definitive plan for how many pitches Leiter will throw in his remaining starts.

Twitter: @dmn_rangers

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