Jakob Junis latest injury proves Rangers can't be done adding bullpen help

Before new Texas Rangers trade acquisition Chase Silseth even had a chance to unpack his bags and settle in as the bridge right-hander to the key late-innings guys, it was announced that setup man extraordinaire Jakob Junis has landed on the IL again. This time it's an adductor strain/groin issue that will keep him out for the next several weeks.

So the glass-half-full folks will look at the timing of grabbing Silseth from the Angels as perfect to become Junis' 8th-inning replacement. Those frustrated by the mounting injuries will make a claim that you can never have enough quality arms and the Rangers shouldn't be done pursuing top-line relief arms.

The Jakob Junis injury means that Chris Young and company should continue to add bullpen pitching depth

Getting Silseth (and catcher Logan O'Hoppe) for a 19-year-old A-baller who may never see the big leagues in infielder Angel Arredondo was a masterstroke for Chris Young and the Rangers' front office. But being met with the news that Junis will be out for the foreseeable future almost renders the move moot. They still need to pursue a late-inning leverage guy, as just 52 games remain in the 2026 season.

You still have to be on the phone checking in on the premier guys like the Mets' Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban. The Padres' Adrian Morejon, the Blue Jays Jeff Hoffman, and the Rockies Antonio Senzatela.

These are the arms that can really put a charge in the bullpen and get the ball to Jacob Latz in close games down the stretch. All of the relievers listed above are righties with the exception of
Morejon. The Rangers have been linked by several sources to Brazoban, and we believe that Young and his staff are not done looking for that additional relief arm.

Getting Luke Weaver would be the ideal play, but the Rangers might have to part with more than they are willing to give up to snag the best right-handed set-up man available at the trade deadline.

An argument could have been made before Junis went down that Silseth alone wasn't enough for the Texas bullpen. Adding quality relievers should be the Rangers' top priority, and more than one is necessary for this exact reason.

Losing Junis should be further impetus to add arms rather than to stand pat at the deadline. As aggressive as Young has been during his tenure with the Rangers, you would believe that he isn't going to rest on his laurels with another huge three-game set coming up against the Astros in Houston.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow