Chris Young signed Michael Lorenzen on the last day of spring training. That the thirty-two-year-old righthander was unsigned at that late is a shock.

Yeah, he had a few really bad late-season starts with the Phillies, but Lorenzen was an All-Star in 2023. He was traded to Philadelphia at the trade deadline, throw a no-hitter, then proceeded to pitch himself out of their rotation. 

Since joining the Rangers, he’s started fifteen games, allowing three or fewer runs in twelve. Last night, he wasn’t dominating—walking five—but he was stifling—allowing no runs and only one hit. Because of the walks, he went only five innings. He had thrown only ninety pitches when he was pulled from the game but that might have been more about keeping him healthy for a trade at the deadline at the end of the month.

Lorenzen won’t make the All-Star team this year (Kirby Yates is the only Texas pitcher that will probably make it) but that doesn’t mean he won’t be very valuable to the Rangers.

His return at the trade deadline keeps increasing with each start. And that is what he is pitching for in July.

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