Rangers call up top pitching prospect Owen White

With Jon Gray scratched from Tuesday's start due to a blister and Texas utilizing five relievers in Monday's 12-inning loss to the Angels, the Rangers called up right-hander Owen White, ranked No. 47 overall by MLB Pipeline, from Double-A Frisco, among a flurry of roster moves the team announced Tuesday.

Left-hander Cody Bradford was also called up from Triple-A Round Rock and will start against the Angels on Tuesday, while lefty Cole Ragans and right-hander Yerry Rodríguez were optioned to Round Rock.

The Rangers' top pitching prospect, who will wear No. 43 in the Majors, has gone 2-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 11 starts for the RoughRiders, striking out 55 while walking 22 in 53 1/3 innings.

White was most recently named Texas League Pitcher of the Week for June 5-11. The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings to earn the win, giving up just one hit and walking two, while striking out six.

“With Owen, he gives us some innings,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “This would have been his start day and he’s been throwing the ball well. He’s earned this too, as well as us needing a pitcher. You look down there and he's been doing a really nice job. So that's probably the biggest reason I think I can give you [about why we called him up]: He’s been throwing the ball well and we needed help.”

White has had a long journey to the Majors, including the delay of his professional debut thanks to Tommy John in May 2019 and the pandemic shutdown in ‘20. Then in his first start of ‘21, he broke his pitching hand in his first start when he slammed it on the ground after making an error, sidelining him for three more months.

But ever since he got healthy, White has been every bit the pitcher the Rangers expected when they selected him in the second round of the 2018 Draft out of high school. He was named the Arizona Fall League pitcher of the year in ‘21 and then posted a 3.59 ERA between High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco in ‘22.

Jumping from Double-A to the Majors without a full season under your belt is a difficult endeavor for anybody, but Bochy is confident in White’s ability to give the Rangers quality innings.

“I think the biggest challenge is getting over the jitters,” Bochy said. “This is a place that you dream about playing. Now when it happens, emotions are coming through. That's the biggest part, but after a couple of pitches they use to get settled in, hopefully, he’ll pitch like he did down there. It's the same game.”