Associated Press

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Apr 17, 2024, 11:47 AM

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Updated

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Jack Leiter, the 23-year-old son of former major league pitcher Al Leiter, is to make his major league debut for the Texas Rangers against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

Texas said Tuesday it intended to select the contract of Leiter from Triple-A Round Rock, where he is 1-1 with a 3.73 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance this season.

Taken second overall in the 2021 amateur draft from Vanderbilt, Leiter has pitched 14 1/3 innings this season with 25 strikeouts and three walks. He struck out 10 over six innings against Oklahoma City last Friday, allowing three runs and six hits.

“The way Jack’s throwing the ball, he’s been pitching really well down there,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “You earn things and he earned this. This was a pretty easy one, to be honest.”

Leiter struggled at Double-A Frisco in his first pro season in 2022, going 3-10 with a 5.54 ERA. He split last season at Frisco and Round Rock, finishing 2-6 with a 5.19 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 49 walks in 85 innings.

Left-hander Andrew Heaney had been slated to start in Thursday's series finale but is being pushed back to Friday's series opener at Atlanta.

Al Leiter was a two-time All-Star and won 162 games over 19 seasons from 1987-2005.