Cal Quantrill Exited Game With Lat Tightness
The Rangers pitcher left Saturday's game against the Blue Jays after recording 1.1 innings.
Updated on Sept. 20, 2026 in Baseball
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Texas Rangers pitcher Cal Quantrill exited his start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday due to right lat tightness. Relief pitcher Jordan Montgomery replaced him on the mound at Globe Life Field.
Why it matters
Quantrill's injury poses a significant concern for the Rangers as they contend for the final American League wild-card spot. The team currently trails the Chicago White Sox by 1.5 games.
Quantrill finished his outing after throwing a fastball at 87.8 mph, notably lower than his typical 94 mph velocity. He holds a 6-4 record with a 2.51 ERA across 14 starts this season.
The players
Cal Quantrill
He is a starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers who has recorded 81 strikeouts this season.
Jordan Montgomery
He is a relief pitcher who replaced Quantrill during the game at Globe Life Field.
Skip Schumaker
He serves as the manager of the Texas Rangers and oversaw the mound visit.
Jordan Tiegs
He is the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers who evaluated the injury on the field.
Matt Lucero
He is the trainer for the Texas Rangers who assisted in the evaluation of Quantrill.
The details
Manager Skip Schumaker, pitching coach Jordan Tiegs, and trainer Matt Lucero visited the mound following Quantrill's final pitch. The pitcher had previously dealt with back tightness during an outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Timeline
Quantrill was called up from Triple-A Round Rock on April 15.
Quantrill began a nine-game quality start stretch on July 28.
Quantrill told reporters he was good to go on Thursday.
Quantrill exited the game due to injury on Saturday.
Season Trajectory
This injury directly impacts the Rangers' pursuit of the final American League wild-card position, which they are chasing against the Chicago White Sox. Quantrill has been a critical rotation piece, posting a 1.80 ERA since the All-Star break.
The loss of Quantrill forces a reliance on the bullpen, with Jordan Montgomery and others potentially covering significantly higher inning counts. This shift impacts the team's rotation depth as they sit one game ahead of Toronto.
The takeaway
Sudden injuries to starting pitchers late in the season often force managers to heavily restructure their bullpen usage to stay in playoff contention. Staying mindful of reduced velocity in late-game scenarios can serve as a key indicator of underlying physical fatigue for fans.
Further reading
For more on the team's postseason pursuit, visit Baseball.
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