Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the following transactions:
- Outfielder Dairon Blanco acquired via waiver claim from Kansas City
- Left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery placed on 60-day Injured List (recovery from ‘Tommy John’ ligament replacement surgery)
Blanco, who was designated for assignment by Kansas City on March 2, has appeared exclusively for the Royals at the Major League level, totaling a .257/.312/.416/.728 slash line with 7 home runs, 4 triples, 12 doubles, and 59 stolen bases in 171 career MLB games from 2022-25. The 32-year-old has logged starts at all three outfield spots (33-LF, 24-RF, 18-CF) while serving as a pinch runner 64 times - the most in MLB since 2022. He appeared in just 9 games with the Royals in 2025, spending the balance of the campaign with Triple-A Omaha where he batted .253 (65-257) and was successful in 32 of 35 stolen base attempts.
The Cuba native's 59 career stolen bases are the 3rd-most through a Royal's first 171 career games in franchise history, trailing only Jarrod Dyson and Willie Wilson (60 SB each). 30 of his steals have come as a pinch runner, the 10th most in MLB since at least 1974 and the most on the circuit since making his MLB debut in 2022. In 2024, Blanco swiped 24 bags as a pinch runner, the 3rd-most in a single season (since 1974) to only Larry Lintz (31 in 1976) and Herb Washington (29 in 1974), who both did it with Oakland.
Montgomery, 33, underwent ‘Tommy John’ ligament replacement surgery on March 28, 2025, performed by Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister. The southpaw last pitched in the regular season for Arizona in 2024 and signed with the Rangers on February 13, 2026 following a recuperative 2025 season with the Diamondbacks and Brewers organizations. Montgomery is 46-41 with a 4.03 ERA and 788 strikeouts in 166 career MLB games/161 starts with New York-AL (2017-22), St. Louis (2022-23), Texas (2023), and Arizona (2024).
DAVALILLO, LOPEZ OPTIONED; EIGHT PLAYERS RE-ASSIGNED: Texas also announced that the club has optioned right-handed pitchers David Davalillo and Leandro Lopez to Double-A Frisco, and re-assigned eight players to minor league camp: right-handed pitchers Ryan Lobus, Eric Loomis, Patrick Murphy, and Trey Supak, left-handed pitcher Robby Ahlstrom, infielder Andrew Velazquez, outfielder Aaron Zavala, and catcher Cooper Johnson.
With today's transactions, the Rangers have 49 players in the club's Major League camp: 36 members of the 40-man roster, 12 non-roster invitees, and one player on the 60-day Injured List (LHP Jordan Montgomery). Texas’ Major League roster remains at the 40-man limit.
– RANGERS –