Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the following roster moves prior to the club’s series finale on Wednesday vs. Tampa Bay:

• Right-handed pitcher Alex Speas (#58) contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
• Left-handed pitcher John King optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
• Left-handed pitcher Taylor Hearn, on option at Triple-A Round Rock, designated for assignment.

Speas, 25, will be available for today’s game against the Rays, seeking his Major League debut.  He has combined to go 4-0 with 2 saves and a 1.00 ERA (4 ER/36.0 IP) over 28 relief appearances for Frisco (AA) and Round Rock (AAA), averaging 14.8 strikeouts per 9 innings (59 SO/36.0 IP) while allowing just one home run on the year.  He has compiled a 0.972 WHIP figure.  Over his last 19 outings with Frisco and Round Rock, Speas has compiled a 0.70 ERA (2 ER/25.2 IP) with 8 walks against 44 strikeouts, averaging 15.43 strikeouts per 9 innings over that span.  He last pitched on Saturday at Tacoma (W, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 31 pitches/19 strikes).

The Georgia native was the Rangers' second round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.  He would be the 4th Ranger to make his MLB debut in 2023, joining fellow pitchers Grant Anderson, Cody Bradford, and Owen White.

King has gone 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA (12 ER/18.2 IP) over 15 relief appearances spanning three total stints with the Rangers this season: May 11-June 29, July 3-6 and July 15-18.  He has spent the balance of the campaign with Round Rock, posting a 2-1 record, one save, a 2.08 ERA (4 ER/17.1 IP), and 11 strikeouts/5 walks over 9 games/2 starts.

The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright Hearn to the minor leagues.  Hearn began the season with Texas, posting a 10.29 ERA over 4 relief outings before being optioned to Round Rock on April 13.  He has a 2-2 record with a 3.66 ERA over 24 games/2 starts for the Express.

Following today’s transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the club’s Major League roster, along with three players (Jacob deGrom, Brett Martin, and Jake Odorizzi) on the 60-day Injured List.