Rangers Bullpen Carousel Continues; Prospect Gavin Collyer selected Wednesday from Round Rock
Gavin Collyer and Cal Quantrill are being called up Wednesday evening due to injuries sustained by Chris Martin and Luis Curvelo
The Texas Rangers announced Wednesday that pitchers Chris Martin(right shoulder impingement) and Luis Curvelo(right bicep strain) have each been placed on the 15 day injured list. In a corresponding move, the club recalled veteran right-hander Cal Quantrill and rookie standout Gavin Collyer from Triple-A Round Rock. To clear spots on the 40-man roster, the Rangers placed Cody Bradford on the 60-day injured list and designated Marc Church for assignment.
Collyer, 24, emerged as a top performer during spring training in Surprise, Arizona, where he was among the final cuts before the start of the regular season. The right-hander has seen a significant jump in velocity this year, recently touching 100.1 mph with Round Rock. While he has showcased elite "swing-and-miss" utility, his development in recent years has focused on limiting walks.
Collyer features a four-pitch repertoire led by a fastball that averages 97.9 mph. His arsenal also includes:
Sweeper: Averages 88 mph with a 2,700 RPM spin rate. The Sweeper is rated his second best pitch just below the sinker.
Sinker:Clocked at 96 mph with a 125+ Stuff+ rating. Although he uses it less than 10% of the time, scouts consider it his most effective offering.
Cutter: Averaging 92.5 mph, andcurrently rates slightly below the league average on stuff+ with a value of 93.
During spring training, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker praised the young pitcher’s potential.
"If he's around the zone, he's got elite swing-and-miss with a fastball, which you just don't see in the game," Schumaker said.
Through six appearances this season, Collyer has allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings. He has struck out 11 batters while issuing only two walks, lowering his WHIP from 1.58 to 1.05.
A former 12th-round draft pick, Collyer has worked to overcome command issues that saw him post a 6.15 walk rate at Double-A Frisco. However, after a dedicated offseason, he has been nearly untouchable in his last four outings, surrendering only one hit and one walk while striking out six.
If Collyer can continue to find the strike zone consistently, he has the potential to become a foundational piece of the Rangers' bullpen as the team looks to stabilize its pitching staff in Arlington.
