Rangers phenom returns from elbow injury for long-awaited MLB debut

It's been a long road back to stardom for Texas Rangers phenom Jose Corniell. His hard work and patience recently paid off with a call-up for the final series of the season, and one has to think he'll at least get to come into a game out of the pen.

Corniell was the club's minor league pitcher of the year in 2023. And then one of the organization's top prospects mostly faded out of the memory of fans. They can be excused for forgetting Corniell exists. After going a combined 16-6 in A-Ball and High A-Ball that season, he missed all of the 2024 campaign with elbow issues. However, he's come back better than ever in 2025 and now gets a chance to show what he can do at the Big League level.

Will Jose Corniell start for the Rangers before season's end?

On Friday, the Rangers placed Chris Martin on the IL for the third time this season, obviously ending his season. They also placed infielder Josh Smith on the paternity list, presumably ending his season as well. Smith’s wife, Claire, is due with the couple’s first child.

Jose Corniell, was called up for Cole Winn, who was also placed on the IL. The Rangers have not announced starters for the final games of the season Saturday and Sunday. Giving Corniell one of those starts could be a good way to send him into the winter after a long road back from elbow surgery.

In 13 starts across three levels, the 22-year-old has a 1.89 ERA, 0.842 WHIP and a 9.7 K/9 in 38 innings. He moved quickly and, in a way, forced the Texas Rangers' hand to see what he can do in a lost season. It's not out of the realm of possibility to think that allowing Jose Corniell to start this weekend would also give fans a reason to tune into games that otherwise mean very little.