Texas Rangers: Matt Moore activated from DL; Austin Bibens-Dirkx optioned to Triple-A

The Texas Rangers have activated Matt Moore from the DL. He will start tonight’s game against the Seattle Mariners. As a result, Austin Bibens-Dirkx has been optioned to Triple-A.

We have good news and bad news for Texas Rangers fans. Actually, the news is the same, it’s just up to you how the news is interpreted. Starting pitcher Matt Moore has been activated from the 10-day disabled list and will start tonight’s game against the Seattle Mariners. With Moore back on the roster, Texas has optioned starting pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx to Triple-A Round Rock.

The swap is ironic given the fact that Bibens-Dirkx was rumored as a possible permanent replacement for Moore in the rotation about a week and a half ago. Moore was struggling in mighty fashion before hitting the DL. In nine starts this season, the lefty has a 7.99 ERA and an opponents batting average of .344. Also, he’s posted a 2.016 WHIP and has allowed opposing hitters to reach base at a 42% clip. Needless to say, statistics like those will rarely see a pitcher on the winning end of a ballgame.

Don’t be fooled by the Texas Rangers activating Matt Moore to the major league roster, however. He certainly remains on thin ice. A couple more rough outings and he will be sent to the minor leagues.

On a slightly more positive note, Moore does have career success against the Seattle Mariners. In five starts, he has pitched to a 2.03 ERA against the M’s. In fact, that is his lowest ERA against any MLB team. Feel more confident in tonight’s game? Me neither. Though, you never know, maybe Matt Moore has one good start in him. Regardless, he’ll have to find some way to defeat an arguable Cy Young front-runner in James Paxton.

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The Rangers took over Matt Moore’s contract from the San Francisco Giants. He is owed $9 million this season and $10 million next season from Texas. His contract does include a $750k buyout for next season. Ultimately, the organization doesn’t have an insurmountable amount devoted to the 28-year-old. But it is enough to where they’d like to see some production from him on the big league club.

If Moore can’t pull it together, pitchers like Bibens-Dirkx or Yovani Gallardo will take his place. Plus, as the season progresses, the Texas Rangers will become more and more willing to give some of their prospects a look. Yohander Mendez is towards the top of the list.

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Whether you took Matt Moore’s activation as good news or bad, let’s hope for a competitive start tonight. Even a quality start would work wonders for him at this point.