Rangers add lefty John King to roster

The Rangers on Friday selected the contract of left-handed pitcher John King (#79) from the Alternate Training Site. To make room for King on both the 40-man roster and 28-man active roster, the team designated infielder Yadiel Rivera for assignment.

Additionally, the team added left-handed pitcher Jake Latz to the 60-man Player Pool and assigned him to the Alternate Training Site.

King, who will turn 26 on September 14, will be in uniform and seeking his Major League debut in tonight’s series opener in Seattle. King was added to the Alternate Training Site on July 24 and has spent the past six weeks working out with that group before joining the taxi squad for this road trip. He did not pitch in any Summer Camp intrasquad contests and has yet to even appear in a Spring Training ‘A’ game in his career. When he makes his big league debut, it would be his first outing above the High-A level.

The Houston native combined to go 3-6 with a 2.40 ERA (26 ER/97.1 IP) in 19 games/starts with Down East (High-A) and Hickory (A) in 2019. His last outing in a competitive game was with Down East on August 8, 2019 vs. Carolina (5.0 IP, 1 R-ER). The Rangers’ 10th round selection in the 2017 June draft out of the University of Houston, King also pitched at Angelina (TX) College and graduated from Clements (TX) High School in Sugar Land.

Rivera went 0-for-5 in 4 games/2 starts with Texas after having his contract selected from the Alternate Site on August 20. A non-roster invitee to Rangers Spring Training, Rivera had spent the season at the Alternate Site before his promotion.

Latz joins the Alternate Site roster after pitching for independent Sugar Land Skeeters and manager Pete Incaviglia this summer, going 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA (5 ER/10.1 IP) in 6 games/2 starts. Latz was selected by Texas in the fifth round of the 2017 June draft.