Rangers Select Contract Of RHP Jack Leiter From Triple-A Round Rock, Option RHP Grant Anderson To Triple-A Round Rock

LHP Brock Burke transferred from 15-day Injured List to 60-day Injured List

April 18th, 2024

Detroit, Michigan — The Texas Rangers today announced the following roster moves prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park:

  • Right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter (#35) contract selected from Round Rock (AAA).
  • Right-handed pitcher Grant Anderson optioned to Round Rock (AAA).
  • Left-handed pitcher Brock Burke transferred from 15-day Injured List to 60-day Injured List with a right hand fracture.

Leiter, 23, is scheduled to make his MLB debut as Texas’ starting pitcher in this afternoon’s series finale at Detroit. The right-hander has gone 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA (6 ER/14.1 IP), 25 strikeouts, and 3 walks in 3 appearances (2 starts) for Triple-A Round Rock in 2024, ranking among Pacific Coast League leaders in strikeouts-per-9.0 (1st, 15.70), strikeout percentage (1st, 43.9%), and strikeouts (2nd).

A non-roster invitee to Texas’ Major League camp, Leiter went 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA (6 ER/12.2 IP), 8 strikeouts and 5 walks across 6 games (one start) in Cactus League ‘A’ games this spring.

The Vanderbilt University product is in his 3rd season with the Rangers organization after being selected by the club with the no. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Leiter entered 2024 rated among the top prospects in the Rangers farm system by MLB Pipeline (no. 8), Baseball Prospectus (no. 8), and Baseball America (no. 13).

He has a lifetime 6-17 record, 5.25 ERA (112 ER/192.0 IP), and 248 SO/108 BB over 46 G/44 GS in his 3 minor league seasons spent exclusively with Frisco (AA) and Round Rock, leading all Texas farmhands with 248 strikeouts over the last 3 seasons (2022-24).

The New Jersey native pitched two seasons at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, compiling a 13-4 record and 2.08 ERA over 22 games (21 starts) in 2020-21. His father, Al Leiter, pitched 19 seasons in the Majors from 1987-2005, and cousin, Mark Jr., has seen MLB action with Philadelphia (2017-18), Toronto (2018), and Chicago-NL (2022-24).

Anderson, 26, made 3 appearances for Texas after being recalled from Round Rock on April 7, posting no record and an 18.00 ERA (4 ER/2.0 IP). The right-hander last appeared on Friday in Texas’ 12-8 victory over the Astros.

Burke, 27, had gone 0-0 with a 15.00 ERA (5 ER/3.0 IP) with 5 strikeouts and one walk in 5 relief appearances for Texas before being placed on the 15-day Injured List Saturday with a right hand fracture.