Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore departed Monday’s matchup with the Colorado Rockies after experiencing tightness in his left lat muscle, though the left-handed starter remains hopeful the problem won’t sideline him long-term.
Gore was making his 10th appearance of the season when he exited after completing just one inning of work. During that frame, he surrendered two runs on three hits across 28 pitches, recording two strikeouts and issuing two walks. The pitcher made a diving attempt to field a slow grounder during the inning.
Following Texas’s 7-6 defeat in Denver, Gore minimized concerns about the injury that ended his outing early.
“I felt kind of like a cramp in that behind-the-shoulder-blade, mid-back area,” Gore said. “I thought it was something I could probably pitch through. … It was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t a pain, like I hurt myself or anything like that. It’s frustrating for that to happen right from the get-go in the first inning. But we probably made the right move.”
Nationals manager Skip Schumaker added, “He said he was feeling OK, but with the weather and the conditions and everything, you hear that and just don’t want to push it.”
Peyton Gray entered the game in Gore’s place. Gore was credited with the defeat, dropping his record to 3-4 with a 4.78 ERA in his debut campaign with Texas. Throughout his career spanning 115 games (112 starts) with the San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals and Texas, he holds a 29-45 record and 4.24 ERA.
Texas obtained Gore from Washington this past January, sending five minor-league players in return for the southpaw.
