Rangers Lose Cal Quantrill to Lat Strain After Ignoring the Check Engine Light

There is a very specific kind of dread that hits when a pitcher’s fastball suddenly looks like a changeup. The Texas Rangers are living that nightmare today, officially placing Cal Quantrill on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain.

Quantrill lasted exactly 12 pitches and four batters into Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays before his body pulled the ripcord. When a guy who normally sits 93 to 94 mph starts lobbing 87.8 mph fastballs to George Springer, you do not need a medical degree to know something is structurally wrong.

"MLB Trade Rumors reported: 'Rangers Place Cal Quantrill On Injured List'"

The truly frustrating part is that the warning lights were already flashing. Quantrill left his previous start against the Arizona Diamondbacks with back soreness, but was somehow cleared to pitch this weekend. Letting a pitcher throw through back tightness is like ignoring a check engine light on a cross-country road trip; eventually, something much more expensive is going to break.

This is a massive hit to a Rangers team desperately trying to tread water in the AL Wild Card race. Quantrill has been an absolute revelation since signing a minor league deal in January, posting a 2.90 ERA over 31 appearances and ripping off six straight quality starts before Saturday's early exit. He was literally their August Player of the Month, and now he is in the trainer's room.

Now, manager Skip Schumaker has to manage a bullpen that is completely running on fumes. Texas had to burn through seven pitchers on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox, and Kumar Rocker could not even finish five innings on Friday. Anyone looking at Rangers pitching props or live totals over the next week needs to factor in a relief corps that is currently held together by athletic tape and pure vibes.

Winston Santos is being called up from Triple-A Round Rock just to provide a fresh arm for a depleted staff. Texas will try to close out their series against Toronto on Sunday, but surviving the final stretch of the season without their most reliable late-summer starter is going to require a minor miracle.