Jose

Corniell

Corniell provides the Rangers with a fresh arm heading into the final two games of a series against Atlanta. The 23-year-old allowed five runs over 3 1/3 innings during his lone outing against the Marlins back on June 23.

Corniell followed Cal Quantrill on Tuesday and allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings while being saddled with the loss against the Marlins. He could get another chance later this summer, but he would not be on the fantasy radar.

Corniell, who was recalled over the weekend, came on in the third inning after Cal Quantrill started and allowed one run in two innings. Corniell was making just his second MLB appearance. He didn’t exactly cover himself in glory by allowing five runs and taking the loss. Corniell can eat some innings while the Rangers deal with injuries in the rotation, but he’s not worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Corniell figures to factor into Texas’ rotation plans with both Jack Leiter (ankle) and Nathan Eovaldi (knee) dealing with injury issues. The 22-year-old has posted an underwhelming 6.08 ERA and 19/10 K/BB ratio over 26 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season. He was hit hard in his lone relief appearance for the Rangers last September.

It’s getting to that point in the spring where teams are trying to get their rosters ready for Opening Day, so large batches of cuts are the norm. There are no major surprises in this group. Bride could’ve possibly won a bench spot with a strong performance in the spring. Díaz will stay with the Rangers and try to work through his issues at the Triple-A level.

Corniell will provide a fresh arm to the Rangers’ bullpen on Friday night with Cole Winn and Chris Martin heading to the injured list. It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 22-year-old hurler. He registered a scintillating 1.89 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and a 41/9 K/BB ratio over 38 innings in 13 starts across three minor league levels during the 2025 campaign.

Corniell was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason but stood no chance of making the roster to begin the year. Walcott is one of the best infield prospects in baseball, but likely isn’t going to see MLB action until 2026.

There were reports that the Rangers considered opening the season with three catchers on the active roster but ultimately decided against it. While Huff isn’t known for his defensive prowess, he can still swing it, hitting .298/.399/.548 with 17 homers across 321 plate appearances at Triple-A Round Rock. He’ll provide depth at catcher in the upper levels of the Rangers’ minor league system.

The move protects the 20-year-old hurler from December’s Rule 5 Draft. Corniell looked awfully impressive in 101 2/3 innings between Single-A Down East and High-A Hickory in 2023 — registering a 2.92 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 119/31 K/BB ratio across 101 2/3 innings in 23 appearances (17 starts). It’s unclear if he’ll begin his 2024 season back at High-A Hickory or make the jump right to Double-A Frisco.