10-5 during the stretch of 15 consecutive games. There’s an alternate universe in which yesterday’s lineup is the same, but it’s in Round Rock with Jung, Burger and Higgy there on rehab. Honestly: Foscue leading off, Duran third and Cauley sixth, in Arlington, in early July? Amazing. The ’25-’26 Rangers have maimed my psyche too much for me to feel either hope or despair about what comes next. Not to say I’m paying any less attention, not at all. I’m just saying we’ve seen these kinds of stretches before. Seemingly at random, the Rangers might win or lose the next eight of ten irrespective of health or quality of opposition or the phase of the moon. Whatever happens, it’s always better to be playing for something.
Box Scores
AAA: Round Rock 3, Albuquerque (COL) 4
Round Rock: 7 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Record: 6-3, 1 GB, 37-47 overall
SP Jordan Montgomery: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, 39 P / 26 S, 9.00 ERA
RP Josh Stephan: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 5.68 ERA
3B John Taylor: 1-4, HR (4), .205/.354/.423
Montgomery’s sinker averaged 89.7 and topped at 91 in contrast to the 91.8 average velocity of 2024 and peak of 93.3 in 2003. Other pitches were down as well. While he was never the type to succeed purely on velocity, he did have some, and he registered higher-than-average strikeout rates for several years. His control and command have been fine on rehab, but at these velocities, his margin for error has shrunk. Three of yesterday’s six balls in play were hard liners or flies, all in the 1st. He zipped through the 2nd on 13 pitches and fanned two. All that said, Texas signed Montgomery to at best fill out a rotation, not anchor it.
Per the locals, Cody Bradford threw a simulated inning in Arlington.
RHP Chris Paddack took free agency. In response to the slew of depatures, the Rangers signed IF/OF Santiago Espinal and RHP Austin Voth and assigned them to Round Rock. The 31-year-old Espinal, who can play anywhere but leans toward third and second, was a regular or busy utility man from 2021 through 2025. Declining production led to an ancillary role with the Dodgers, and he took his leave after being outrighted two weeks ago. Voth, 34, played in Japan last year and in 2026 pitched a handful of innings for the Twins and Blue Jays and many more for their AAA squads.
Texas also released catcher Cooper Johnson, with the organization since 2023. He’d hit .213/.300/.372 with seven homers in 51 games for Round Rock.
The Braves signed OF Andrew McCutchen to a minor deal. 
AA: Frisco 4, Midland (ATH) 10
Frisco: 3 hits, 7 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 12 hits, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 4-5, 3 GB, 43-34 overall
SP Joey Danielson: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 22 P / 17 S, 3.12 ERA
A bullpen night in which only Janser Lara (2.1 perfect, three strikeouts) was unblemished. 
Hi-A: Hub City 3, at Asheville (HOU) 17
Hub City: 7 hits, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts
Opponent: 14 hits, 11 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 4-8, 4 GB, 38-40 overall
SP Kamdyn Perry: 2.1 IP, 7 H, 10 R, 4 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SO, 71 P / 39 S, 10.71 ERA
RP J’Briell Easley: 2 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 1 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 5.35 ERA
RF Maxton Martin: 1-2, HR (9), BB, .223/.289/.413
Hub City took ten of 12 from Asheville during the first half, and now the Tourists are exacting their revenge. Kamdyn Perry became the second Ranger and 37th minor leaguer to allow ten or more runs in a 2026 outing. Once again, walks and hit batters were devastating. Eight of 13 Tourists who reached without a hit would come around to score.
Per baseball America, OF Paxton Kling suffered a broken wrist from an HBP a little over two weeks ago. 
Lo-A: Hickory 2, at Myrtle Beach (CHC) 5
Hickory: 5 hits, 4 walks, 11 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 9 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 10-2, 1 G up, 44-32 overall
SP Jesus Lafalaise: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 4 SO, 79 P / 41 S, 4.68 ERA
1B Curley Martha: 2-3, 2B, BB, .186/.266/.300
On a team level, Hickory has been the opposite of Hub City, near the top of the league in lowest walk percentage. Not yesterday, though. Three of the five Pelican runs originally reached on walks.
Today’s Starters
AAA: Corniell
AA: Pence
Hi-A: Scarborough
Lo-A: Keaney
Five Years Ago Yesterday
On rehab in Arizona, Sam Huff hit a 511′ homer. Yesterday, Huff took free agency after bring outrighted by Baltimore. I suppose he’ll find a job somewhere, but he’s not even hitting well in AAA this season (.196/.275/.359). OF Dustin Harris exercised an opt-out from the White Sox.
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