Texas' coaching staff forged a makeshift lineup as Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Nathan Eovaldi sat out, yet the Rangers surged behind unsung heroes like Helman, Langford, Jung, Pederson and Haggerty. Adolis García’s return-to-form and a patient, fast-starting Carter helped the offense while a 3.17 ERA marked steady pitching even with rotation injuries. The club’s wild-card odds flicker, but the depth and baton-passing approach kept them in the chase.

Bochy’s crew leaned on midseason signings and a buy-in from a resilient clubhouse. The narrative shifted from star power to roster churning, with Corbin’s eight-scoreless innings and Leiter’s growing confidence illustrating how the Rangers can survive and even thrive on the margins as Seager and Semien monitor timelines.

Leiter's revamped changeup has become a breakout tool for the Rangers. In six innings against Oakland, he threw 26 changeups—the second-most in the game—sparking whiffs and weak contact while his fastball and curve tightened around it. Bochy calls it a big pitch with growing command, signaling a possible ceiling-raising breakout in Texas.

Dunning's forkball anecdote—spring fodder that some pitchers shelve—highlights how quick tweaks can fade. Leiter's trust in the changeup, plus a faster curve, could unlock a higher strikeout rate and more in-season fantasy value for Rangers starters. The piece frames Leiter as a blueprint for a transformative season.

Texas Rangers battle a swelling injury list but keep winning, 5-2 over Oakland as eight players were on the IL in two weeks. Jack Leiter six innings of two-run ball, leaning on a revamped changeup (26 throws, 50% whiffs) to fuel the great start. Offense leaned on timely hits: Jonah Heim’s sacrifice fly in the second, a go-ahead homer in the fifth, and Michael Helman’s two-run shot in the seventh after a call-up to replace Evan Carter. Corey Seager opens the IL story with an appendectomy, while Marcus Semien’s foot injury tests the lineup’s depth.

Depth and opportunism carry the Rangers as regulars sit out. Heim’s move to second base temporarily highlighted the roster shuffle, with Helman and Dylan Moore contributing as the lineup adapts. The series showcases how a young rotation and a flexible, hungry bench can keep pace for a postseason push.