ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas closer Luke Jackson took a 111-mph comeback liner off his pitching hand on the only pitch he threw after coming on in the ninth inning of the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said X-rays were negative, but that the right hand “swelled up pretty good.” He said a stint on the injured list was certainly a possibility, but that the Rangers would know more Tuesday.
Ryan McMahon was leading off the ninth when he hit the ball right back at Jackson. The ball struck the pitcher’s hand and popped up in the air before falling to the ground on what became an infield single.
Jackson left the game almost immediately after Bochy and athletic trainer Matt Lucero came out of the dugout to check on the pitcher.
“We’ll see how he responds. But that thing blew up right away, so do have some concern,” Bochy said.
“I mean 60 feet away is not that far, especially when those guys can hit as hard as they can,” said Rangers starter Tyler Mahle, who threw 6 1/3 innings for the win. “He was just out there trying to do what he does, and then something crappy like that happens. It just sucks.”
Texas was again without shortstop Corey Seager, who was out of lineup for the fourth time in five games because of hamstring soreness. He homered twice Saturday in the only game he has played in that stretch.
Bochy had said before the game that there could be a pregame move with Seager, but nothing happened then. The two-time World Series MVP missed 10 games when on the IL with a right hamstring strain from April 23 until being reinstated May 3.
Asked after the game if there was any update on Seager, Bochy responded, “No, no. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
The comebacker that struck Jackson came an inning after Brenton Doyle’s hard liner was snagged by Chris Martin, the 6-foot-8 Rangers reliever who was going down to a knee when he made the catch on the ball coming right back at him.
Jacob Webb replaced Jackson, who has eight saves in nine chances, and immediately got a fielder’s choice out. The Rockies then loaded the bases on a single by Michael Toglia and a four-pitch walk to Sean Bouchard.
The game ended and Webb had his first save when Kyle Farmer hit a chopper to third baseman Josh Jung, who stepped on the bag and then threw across to first to complete a double play.
“That walk put him in a jam there,” Bochy said. “He lost it there for four pitches, but then made a pitch when he had to to get the big double play.”
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