Shawn

Armstrong

Armstrong had to clean up the mess made by Robert Garcia, but he was able to do just that to pick up his third save of the season. He’s been solid as a late-inning option with a 3.13 ERA, but it’s hard to imagine he’s going to get more than a handful of save chances in 2025.

That’s certainly more than the Rangers were expecting from Armstrong, who had topped out at two innings previously this season and hadn’t struck out more than three. He’s pitched 11 1/3 scoreless innings in his last 10 appearances, lowering his ERA from 4.82 to 3.00. He might make another spot start next weekend, but he’s going to be in the pen for the most part going forward.

With Luke Jackson (hand) and Chris Martin (elbow) sidelined, the Rangers once again turned to Armstrong with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth inning. He made things a bit interesting by issuing a two-out walk to Victor Caratini, but he fought back to get Zach Dezenzo top pop out to second base to end it. Armstrong has proven that he’s capable of handling save situations for the Rangers, so look for him to continue to get his name called while Jackson and Martin are shelved.

Martin will attempt to play catch prior to Wednesday’s showdown against the Rockies and remains on the club’s lineup card. He’s obviously unavailable to pitch for at least a couple days, but it sounds like there’s a realistic chance he avoids a trip to the injured list. With Luke Jackson (hand) also hurt, it’ll likely be some combination of Robert Garcia, Jacob Webb or Shawn Armstrong getting the call in a save situation for the next few days.

The Rangers were already down Luke Jackson, who was hit in the hand by a line drive on Monday, and Chris Martin had been removed from the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game due to tightness in his elbow. That left Armstrong with a golden opportunity to protect a three-run advantage in the ninth inning with runners at the corners and nobody out. He made it look awfully easy, needing 17 pitches (11 strikes) to punch out Michael Toglia, Sean Bouchard and Owen Miller in succession. If Jackson and Martin are forced to miss any significant time, Armstrong could find himself in line for more save chances and would be worth a speculative add in deeper mixed leagues.

Martin faced exactly one batter in the ninth inning of a save opportunity before leaving the contest with a trainer. His departure comes roughly 24 hours after Rangers closer Luke Jackson was hit by a line drive on the right hand, which left him unavailable for this contest. Fortunately, veteran Shawn Armstrong was able to finish off the frame and pick up the save. There should be an update on his status shortly. It’s probably going to be Armstrong, Robert Garcia or Jacob Webb handling the next save situation for Texas.

The deal is now official. Armstrong provides the Rangers with some additional experienced relief depth heading into next season after making 57 appearances last year between the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs, finishing with a serviceable 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 66/25 K/BB ratio across 66 2/3 innings of work. The 34-year-old right-hander has made 299 appearances in the majors dating back to 2015.

Armstrong is on the 40-man roster, so the Rangers had to designate Sam Huff for assignment to make room. Armstrong was waived by the Cubs back in September after registering a 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings for the Rays, Cardinals, and Cubs in 2024. The 34-year-old does have a 4.15 career ERA in 347 1/3 innings, so he will bring some stability and experience to a Rangers bullpen that is in dire need of it.

Armstrong was designated for assignment last week. He had a 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings for the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs this year. The 34-year-old is free to sign with any team.

Armstrong was claimed off waivers by the Cubs less than a month ago after he was designated for assignment by the Cardinals. Now he’s been designated for assignment again as the corresponding move for the Cubs activation of Hayden Wesneski from the injured list. Armstrong had a 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 66 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings with the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs combined this year.