Jordan Montgomery Struggles in Outing for Texas Rangers

Jordan Montgomery returned to Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers on August 10, 2026, in a debut where he surrendered three earned runs over four innings. Montgomery allowed six hits, including two home runs, and recorded two strikeouts while throwing 79 pitches, according to team reports.

The appearance marks Montgomery’s first big-league game since September 2024. He had been sidelined for nearly 23 months following UCL surgery in March 2025, as reported by Rotowire.

Montgomery’s Transition to the Bullpen

Despite working as a starter during his rehabilitation process, Montgomery will operate out of the bullpen for the Rangers. Manager Skip Schumaker announced on August 7, 2026, that both Montgomery and Cal Quantrill would move to relief roles, according to MLB.com reporting via Rotowire.

The Rangers activated Montgomery from the 60-day injured list on August 7. While his role was initially unclear, Rotowire noted he could potentially work in long relief during the early stages of his return.

Rehabilitation Performance and Pitch Counts

Montgomery’s return followed a structured rehab assignment involving starts for Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco. Across eight rehab starts, he posted a 3.75 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP over 24 innings, according to Rotowire.

In his final minor league outing on July 26, 2026, Montgomery pitched 4.1 innings for Round Rock, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. During that appearance, he reached a pitch count of 75, which Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reported was a target for his final outing before returning to the majors.

Prior to that final start, Montgomery’s performance across seven rehab outings included a 4.74 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP over 19 innings, per Rotowire.

Career Context and Previous Statistics

The struggle in his debut follows a difficult 2024 campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. During that regular season, Montgomery appeared in 25 games, making 21 starts, and finished with an 8-7 record, according to Rotowire.

His 2024 statistics included a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP over 117 innings, with 83 strikeouts and 44 walks. This performance preceded the elbow injury and subsequent surgery that kept him off a Major League mound for nearly two years.