The Rangers selected a reliever Daniel Robert on the MLB roster for tonight's game against the Angels. Texas is selected Grant Anderson to Triple-A Round Rock to clear a spot in the bullpen. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rangers drafted a left tackle Antoine Kelly by share.
Robert gets his first major league call a few weeks before his 30th birthday. Texas drafted him in 2017 as a 21st round pick out of Auburn. Robert has posted parts of three seasons (including all of 2024) at Round Rock. After struggling in his first two seasons there, he put up excellent numbers in 25 games this year.
Through 30 2/3 innings, Robert owns a 2.35 earned run average. He struck out over 35% of the batters he faced while walking only 6.1% of the opposition. It was much better than last season, when he struck out 26.4% of batters with a nearly 12% walk percentage. Robert has fanned 12 without issuing a walk in his last 10 2/3 frames.
His promotion moved Kelly up the list. The 24-year-old former second-round pick of the Brewers runs his fastball in the high 90s. Milwaukee traded him to Texas at the 2022 trade deadline Matt Bush deal. Texas added Kelly to the 40-man roster to avoid entering last winter's Rule 5 draft, but things haven't gone well this season.
Kelly has walked 21 of the 91 batters he has faced in Round Rock. That obviously doesn't happen and has led to a 9.39 ERA. That sent him back to Double-A last week and now he's out of the lineup entirely. The Rangers have five days to trade the 6'5″ lefty or place him on waivers. Kelly pitched to a 1.95 ERA with a 32% strikeout rate in Double-A last season. He still has full options and could get some interest in the waiver wire, however this year's control has issues.
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