Josh SborzRangers manager Bruce Bochy told MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and other journalists that Sborz has been shut down and that it will be the end of the 2025 season without any major league action. Sborz had a right shoulder debridement surgery last November until he threw two-thirds of the game with Triple-A Round Rock on July 12.
The right-handed’s rehabilitation mission had multiple stops and starts, with Sborz earning a 5.25 ERA in 12 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Beyond the inflated ERA and the walk rate that was much higher than usual, Bochy made note of Sborz’s velocity drop — the relief was averaged only 91.7 mph on his fastball, which is well beneath his 95.1 mph average from 2024. Sborz isn’t dealing with any new physical issues, but there wasn’t enough time left on the calendar to get him fully ramped up, so the Rangers will instead put Sborz on the shelf until the spring training begins.
There is no doubt that this is a frustrating result for Sborz, who has now seen his right shoulder breaking for two years of his career. His 16 1/3 innings with Texas in 2024 was limited to 16 1/3 innings, due to four different IL limitations associated with rotator cuff strains and shoulder fatigue, and hopefully his surgery will correct the problem once and for all. The initial prediction was that Sborz would miss the first 2-3 months of the 2025 season, but slower throwing progress drove him back in time and resulted in a year of losses.
Sborz is also limited to 22 1/3 innings in 2022 due to elbow issues, the right-hander’s tenure in Arlington includes a 4.86 ERA, a strikeout rate of 28.7% and a 10.0% walk rate, with more than 143 appearances. Sborz’s 3.46 Siera in the same stretch may better reflect his overall performance, even if Sborz tends to hurt himself by allowing home runs. Despite the inconsistent results, Sborz will be remembered in Texas’s 2023 playoffs as he released a .75 ERA in 12 playoff innings to help the Rangers occupy the World Series.
Two seasons with injury disorders match Sborz’s first two years of arbitration qualification. He avoided the ARB process by agreeing to the 1.1mm salary in 2025, and he could only be higher than the 2026 figures. The dollar is small enough that Texas may still bid for Sborz’s contract, and if the team thinks he will be fully prepared for next year, though inappropriate, can re-sign the inappropriate situation.
