Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the following transactions prior to tonight’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels:

• RHP Garrett Richards (#43) activated from 10-day Injured List.
• RHP Nick Snyder (#57) recalled from Round Rock (AAA).
• RHP Spencer Howard placed on 10-day Injured List, retroactive to April 11, with cracked finger nail/blister.
• RHP Dennis Santana placed on COVID-19 Related Injured List.
• INF Sherten Apostel assigned outright to Round Rock (AAA).

Richards opened the season on the Injured List with a right middle finger blister, making one appearance on injury rehabilitation assignment with Round Rock (AAA) on Tuesday at Sugar Land (W, 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R-1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 26 pitches/18 strikes). The longtime Angels pitcher will be seeking to make his Rangers debut against his former team in tonight’s series opener at Globe Life Field. Richards signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with a club option for 2023 on March 20, posting 2.0 scoreless innings in two Cactus League appearances for Texas. 

Overall in his career, Richards has gone 54-49 with a 3.81 ERA over 227 games/150 starts for Los Angeles-AL (2011-18), San Diego (2019-20), and Boston (2021). He was the Angels’ Opening Day starter in both 2016 and 2018.

Snyder has opened the 2022 minor league season with 2.0 perfect innings and one save over two relief outings for Round Rock (AAA), striking out three of six batters faced. He last pitched on Saturday vs. El Paso, earning the save in a 3-1 Express win. He was scoreless in four Cactus League appearances during spring training, holding opponents 1-for-13 (.077) over 4.0 innings. Snyder was selected as the organization’s 2021 Minor League Reliever of the Year after rising from High-A to the Major Leagues last season. He made four relief appearances (4.91 ERA) for Texas late in the season before finishing the campaign (9/4-end of season) on the Injured List with right shoulder fatigue.

Howard made his season debut with a start in the Rangers' third game of the season on Sunday at Toronto (3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R-ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 4 HR), taking no decision in Texas' 12-6 win over the Blue Jays. The first date he would be eligible to return is April 21.

Santana has appeared in relief in three of the Rangers' first five games of the season, allowing one run in 3.1 innings (2.70 ERA). The right-hander is in his first full season with the Rangers in 2022 after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a mid-season trade on June 17, 2021.

Apostel was designated for assignment on April 7 when the club set its Opening Day roster. He made his Major League debut with Texas in 2020, but went through three stints on the Round Rock Injured List in 2021.

With today’s transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the club’s Major League roster, along with two players (Jonathan Hernández and José Leclerc) on the 60-day Injured List.