{"id":6197,"date":"2023-06-20T20:14:12","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T03:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=6197"},"modified":"2023-06-20T20:14:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T03:14:12","slug":"rangers-re-sign-ian-kennedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2023\/06\/20\/rangers-re-sign-ian-kennedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers Re-Sign Ian Kennedy to Minor-League Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Texas Rangers<\/a> have re-signed right-hander Ian Kennedy<\/strong><\/a> to a minor-league contract. News of the deal was first reported by Evan Grant<\/a> of the Dallas Morning News<\/em>. Kennedy will report to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday. The 38-year-old righty opened the season on the 26-man roster. He was\u00a0designated for assignment on May 11 after posting a 7.20 ERA in 11 appearances<\/a>. Ian Kennedy is the second veteran reliever to sign a minor-league deal with the club in the last two weeks following fellow righty Ryan Tepera<\/strong><\/a>. It will be very interesting to see how Kennedy’s second tour of duty with the Rangers goes.<\/p>\n

Back in the Rangers’ Organization<\/h4>\n

Kennedy cracked the Opening Day roster after an offseason minor-league deal<\/a>. This marked his second stint in Arlington. While Kennedy was an excellent high-leverage arm for the Rangers back in 2021, he had less inspiring results this time around. Despite a quality 13:3 strikeout-to-walk tally through ten innings, he surrendered ten runs on 11 hits. He\u2019ll look to make his stay in Round Rock a short one by recapturing a spot in the Rangers’ bullpen.<\/p>\n

Rangers relievers rank 22nd in the majors with a 4.31 ERA on the year. In addition, they ranked 12th in the AL and 24th in the majors in Sport Relay’s latest rankings<\/a>. They have, however, posted a serviceable 3.92 mark in the month of June. This will be a good opportunity for Ian Kennedy. Often times when a player is struggling, a change of scenery may be necessary. In Kennedy’s case, perhaps a familiar setting could help. He is well-liked by players, coaches, fans and members of the media. That could go a long way in helping him feel comfortable. The 17-year veteran has had a couple strong seasons since moving to the bullpen four years back. He has struggled going back to the start of the 2022 campaign, posting a 5.36 ERA through 50 1\/3 frames for the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> in 2022. Aside from injury rehab stints, Ian Kennedy hasn\u2019t pitched in Triple-A since 2009.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>