After nearly two weeks of rehabilitation work, Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery reached another important checkpoint Thursday, making his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Round Rock. While the veteran surrendered runs for the first time since beginning his recovery assignment, the Rangers were likely far more encouraged by the workload he handled than the final stat line.
Montgomery’s previous two rehab outings came with Double-A Frisco, where he was highly effective and did not allow a run. His move to Triple-A provided a tougher challenge, as he faced hitters with major league experience or players on the verge of earning promotions. The higher level of competition offered a better gauge of his readiness as he continues working toward a return to Texas’ rotation.
Although the outing was not as clean as his earlier appearances, Montgomery still showed encouraging signs. He completed two innings for the second consecutive start but had to work harder to navigate the lineup. His toughest moment came when he allowed a two-run triple to Vimael Machín, a versatile infielder with recent major league experience who remains a depth option for the Colorado Rockies.
Even with the runs allowed, the Rangers’ primary focus remains Montgomery’s progression through his rehabilitation program rather than the box score. The left-hander continues to gradually build his stamina after opening his assignment on June 21 with a one-inning outing before increasing to two innings in each of his next two appearances.
Across his first three rehab starts, Montgomery has thrown five total innings while allowing just three hits and two earned runs without issuing a walk. He has also recorded seven strikeouts, demonstrating that his command and ability to miss bats remain intact despite the lengthy recovery process.
Perhaps the most encouraging development came in his pitch count. Montgomery threw 39 pitches against Round Rock’s opponent, comfortably surpassing the combined 33 pitches he logged during his first two rehab appearances. The increased workload aligns with the Rangers’ original plan to gradually extend his outings as his arm strength returns.
Manager Skip Schumaker had previously outlined a step-by-step rehabilitation strategy that called for Montgomery to begin with a single inning before progressing to multiple-inning appearances. Because he was so efficient in his first outing, Texas accelerated the plan slightly by allowing him to pitch two innings in his second start, where he again worked quickly and effectively.
Thursday’s appearance represented Montgomery’s first real test of adversity during the rehab assignment. While he was less dominant than in his previous outings, the longer innings forced him to throw more pitches and work through challenging situations—valuable experience as he prepares for a return to the major league level.
For the Rangers, those developments are ultimately more meaningful than the two runs on the scoreboard. The steady increase in workload, ability to maintain his command, and continued progression toward a full starter’s workload suggest Montgomery remains on schedule in his recovery, bringing him another step closer to rejoining Texas’ pitching staff.
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