Rangers Reinstate Uehara; Option Scheppers

The Texas Rangers announced prior to today’s game that the club has reinstated right-handed pitcher Koji Uehara from the 15-day disabled list.  To make room on the active roster for Uehara, the team has optioned right-handed pitcher Tanner Scheppers to Triple-A Round Rock.

Uehara was placed on the disabled list on June 15 (retroactive to June 10) with a right latissimus dorsi (lat) muscle strain.  While returning from the initial injury in mid-July, he re-aggravated the original injury in the same area that extended his time on the disabled list.  Uehara has no record and a 2.11 ERA (5 ER/21.1 IP) in 20 relief appearances for Texas this season.  At the time he went on the disabled list, he ranked among American League relief leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2nd, 11.00), WHIP (3rd, 0.70), and opponents average (T8th, .171).  His last big league outing was June 9 at San Francisco.

Uehara made a total of 3 appearances with Triple-A Round Rock on rehabilitation assignments, compiling 3.0 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts, including pitching in home games for the Express on Tuesday and Friday.  He threw 14 pitches in his most recent rehab outing on Friday vs. Nashville (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO, 0 BB).

Scheppers has gone 1-0 with one save and a 4.56 ERA (13 ER/25.2 IP) over 29 relief appearances with Texas in his first major league action.  He has been with the club since being selected on June 7 when Derek Holland went on the disabled list.  He opened the season at Round Rock, going 1-2 with 9 saves and a 3.72 ERA (12 ER/29.0 IP) in 25 relief outings.

With today’s moves, the Rangers still have a full 40-man roster.