HOUSTON — This should have been a one-day affair.
The Rangers were in a pitcher crisis. Cole Winn was on the 40-man roster and was nearby and available. He could have played a role in the bullpen and then stayed in Houston and joined Triple-A Round Rock. But Wynn has come a long way since being a first-round pick of the Rangers in 2018 and is determined to make the most of whatever comes his way in the majors. Whether it's for a day or a week. Or more.
Well, at least it will take a little longer.
After Wynn arrived and retired all five batters he faced on Sunday, the Rangers decided to keep him and instead Struggling reliever Yerry Rodriguez was sent to Round Rock.
“This means everything, especially after the last few years,” Wynn said. “Obviously, it wasn't the best year, but I learned a lot. It's really special to be able to come out here and pitch on a major league mound in a major league game.”
Wynn, 24, was drafted 15th overall in 2018 and appeared to be on track for the majors in his first few seasons. He ran into some command issues in 2022 and couldn't shake them off. He lost momentum in the system and was moved to the bullpen. He didn't even make the major league roster in spring training.
At Round Rock, he had three solid relief pitches and one crappy pitch. But the Rangers needed bullpen depth Sunday. He hadn't pitched in two days, but was able to get some innings done.
After Rodriguez lost the strike zone, he ended up entering the game with the bases loaded in the 7th inning. Wynn grounded out the first batter he faced, giving up a run, but he struck out the next batter and hit a 1-2-3 eight base hit.
It was enough to allow him to play in the big leagues a little longer.
“It wasn't an easy situation,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He did a great job. So, good for him.”
Read more of the Dallas Morning News' Rangers coverage here.
Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter.
