Rangers' Cal Quantrill injury could end up having huge impact on Guardians potential postseason opponent

If the season ended today, the Texas Rangers would be in the postseason by virtue of winning the American League West. While they and the Houston Astros have alternated between leading the division and holding the American League’s final Wild Card spot, the Rangers have pushed their way to first place by virtue of a 10-8 September. 

One of the biggest reasons they’ve been able to do that has been because of a resurgent season from former Guardians pitcher Cal Quantrill. But Quantrill’s storybook season hit a huge snag over the weekend when he was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. 

It remains to be seen if Quantrill’s injury is going to be season-ending, but it’s going to keep him out for the final week of the season and the Wild Card Series (at the very least). 

Although the Guardians would get an automatic bye to the American League Division Series if the season ended today, Quantrill’s injury could still play a huge part in the Guardians’ potential run to the World Series. 

Cal Quantrill's injury will have a huge impact on the Rangers' path toward the postseason

The Rangers will enter play tonight with a slim one-game lead over the Astros in the American League West. Whichever team wins the division will host the AL’s No. 6 seed in the Wild Card Series (which is currently the White Sox). 

The Astros trail the White Sox by three games in the Wild Card race, so it looks like the only way the Rangers or Astros will be able to make the postseason is via the AL West. The Guardians have a slim one-game lead over the White Sox, so they could enter this equation with a bad 48-hour span. 

Not that long ago, Quantrill was one of the key pieces in the Guardians’ starting rotation. Cleveland first acquired him in September 2020 as a part of their trade deadline fleece of the Padres, and he followed that up with a great first full season in 2021. 

He took a step back in 2022 (while making two postseason starts), and was cut loose after a rough 2023 season. He bounced around MLB in 2024 and ‘25, and ended up signing a minor league contract with the Rangers in the past offseason after ending last season with their Triple-A team. 

His MLB future was as uncertain as it’s ever been. 

But the Rangers turned out to be a good landing spot, as he earned a call-up in April and recorded a 2.86 ERA in 110 innings before getting hurt. 

He was even better as a member of the Rangers’ rotation, as he had a 2.47 ERA in 76 2/3 innings (15 starts). He got bumped into Texas’ rotation at the end of June and was starting to hit his peak prior to getting hurt. 

Quantrill recorded a 1.86 ERA in his final six full starts of the season, a span that includes six scoreless innings against the Angels and seven inning scoreless starts against the Rays and Nationals. 

He made it through 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays last Saturday before leaving after his fastball velocity dropped to 88 miles per hour. 

Quantrill’s signing with the Rangers may not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but it’s become one of the team’s best signings. But now they’re going to have to adjust to life without him. 

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