Rangers lose starting pitcher right before playoffs

The Rangers placed starter Jon Gray on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 28, with forearm tightness, per a team announcement. Jake Latz is up from Triple-A to take the open spot on the active roster.

Gray left his start in Anaheim on Monday with the injury. It’ll take him out of consideration for the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Rangers are one win away from securing a playoff berth. They’re up two games on the Astros for the AL West lead with three to play. Even after Thursday night’s walk-off loss in Seattle, they remain the favorite to take the division — which would lock in a bye past the wild-card series.

Texas would have to make it to the ALCS for Gray to be a potential factor. The 15 days rules him out until Oct. 13, which would be the fifth game of a Division Series. The Rangers could technically reinstate Gray if they’re playing in a decisive Game 5, but that’d require an injury to another player and presumably be too risky for the club even if it were feasible.

It’s not clear if Gray would’ve been in the playoff rotation even if he were healthy. Jordan Montgomery would very likely get the first game. Nathan Eovaldi and Dane Dunning could fill the rest of a three-man rotation. Gray has been a consistent presence throughout the season, yet his production has tailed off. He has a 5.32 ERA since the All-Star Break and is allowing over six earned runs per nine this month.

Gray joins Max Scherzer as injured Rangers’ starters hoping for a potential return deep into a postseason run. Scherzer has been sidelined by a terse major strain for the past few weeks.