Rangers Activate Jordan Montgomery; Lefty Moves to Bullpen After Elbow Surgery

Jordan Montgomery returns to the Texas Rangers roster after being activated from the 60-day injured list to pitch in relief.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers activated veteran left-hander Jordan Montgomery from the 60-day injured list on Friday. Montgomery, 33, returns to the active roster to serve as a relief pitcher following his recovery from Tommy John surgery. To create space for the veteran, the Rangers designated right-handed pitcher Nolan Kingham for assignment prior to the start of a three-game series against Baltimore.

Montgomery’s return follows a rehab assignment consisting of eight minor league appearances that began in mid-June. In his final two starts of that stretch, the left-hander surrendered just one run across 9 1/3 innings of work. Manager Skip Schumaker confirmed that Montgomery will join right-hander Cal Quantrill in the bullpen for the immediate future. Quantrill had previously made seven starts since the middle of June after Jack Leiter was placed on the injured list.

Roster Adjustments and Rotation Changes

Cody Bradford takes over the rotation spot previously held by Quantrill. Bradford made his first start since the conclusion of the 2024 season this past Wednesday, having also recovered from elbow surgery. During the Rangers' 2023 World Series championship run, Bradford posted a 1-0 record with a 1.17 ERA across five postseason relief appearances as a rookie.

Montgomery originally rejoined Texas through free agency at the start of spring training while still rehabbing from the procedure he underwent after pitching for Arizona in 2024. His previous tenure in Arlington began as a trade-deadline acquisition from St. Louis in 2023. During that regular season, he produced a 4-2 record and a 2.79 ERA over 11 games for the Rangers.

Postseason History and Career Statistics

In the 2023 playoffs, Montgomery went 3-1 across six games. He earned two victories during the American League Championship Series, which included throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief during the Game 7 clincher against Houston. His lone loss that postseason occurred during a start in Game 2 of the World Series against the Diamondbacks.

Following that title run, Montgomery signed with Arizona for the 2024 campaign, where he went 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA. Over a career spanning eight big league seasons, he has played for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. His lifetime statistics include a 46-41 record and a 4.03 ERA in 166 total games, 161 of which were starts.

Current Bullpen Strategy

The move to transition Montgomery to the bullpen comes as the Rangers continue their pursuit of a playoff spot. By shifting both Montgomery and Quantrill to relief roles, the team adds veteran experience to the late-inning options. Montgomery's move to the pen marks a significant shift for a player who has started all but five of his 166 career major league appearances. The Rangers made these transactions official on Friday morning as they prepared for the series opener at home.