Jordan Montgomery rolls through third rehab start, pushing Rangers rotation return timeline forward

Jordan Montgomery is moving closer to a season debut with the Texas Rangers after another productive rehab start, his third of the assignment. On July 2, Montgomery worked for Triple-A Round Rock and limited the opposing hitters to two runs on three hits while striking out three and issuing no walks over two innings. He threw 39 pitches, with 26 landing for strikes, a workload and command profile the Rangers can point to as they evaluate readiness.

The Rangers have treated Montgomery’s rehab as a key component of their midseason plan to add starting pitching innings. According to the Rangers’ broader context, Texas is in need of innings from the rotation and depth options as the calendar moves deeper into July. Montgomery, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has been building back through live reps that culminate in these minor-league starts.

Montgomery’s path matters because his absence has created a thin margin for Texas when it comes to rotation flexibility. Dallas News reported that Montgomery, 33, had not pitched since 2024 and underwent Tommy John ligament transplant surgery last March. Before moving into a rehab assignment, Texas continued to manage his workload with live batting practice sessions, a measured approach intended to keep the elbow on schedule.

In the immediate baseball picture, the Rangers’ rotation needs are not theoretical. The team’s lineup of starters has been impacted by injuries and roster moves, with Jack Leiter placed on the injured list following ankle surgery and Texas using other alternatives in the meantime, including an openers-like approach before designating additional options for assignment. In that environment, a left-hander returning to the major-league rotation is more than a pleasant story. It becomes a practical lever for managing innings, matchups, and bullpen usage.

Round Rock’s role is also important for how the Rangers map Montgomery’s progression. Triple-A rehab assignments are typically structured to test a pitcher’s durability over multiple outings, then translate that effort into a clear major-league ramp. The MLB report notes that Montgomery was scheduled to start the July 2 game for Round Rock against the Albuquerque Isotopes, and his performance followed the same theme as earlier rehab work, with efficient pitching and a refusal to walk hitters.

Texas manager Skip Schumaker framed rehab progress as a series of checkpoints, even as the Rangers remain careful not to overstate timelines. In the coverage around another injured pitcher’s rehab, Schumaker described the value of “good signs” like controlled ball flight and full-pitch participation. While that direct quote referenced Cody Bradford’s bullpen progression, it reflects the standard the Rangers are applying across their rehab group as they approach roster reinforcements.

What to watch next is whether Montgomery can convert this third rehab start into a clean step toward a fourth and then a major-league activation. The immediate question is not just health, but whether his pitch command and workload hold as the innings accumulate. For Texas, the payoff would be getting a reliable left-handed arm back into the rotation mix in the second half, reducing the pressure on short-term fixes and restoring a more sustainable pitching rhythm.