Rangers activate Jordan Montgomery from 60-day IL, designate Nolan Kingham for assignment

The Texas Rangers activated left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery from the 60-day injured list on Friday, returning a veteran arm to the active roster in the late stage of the 2026 regular season. To make room for Montgomery on both the active roster and the 40-man roster, the Rangers designated right-handed reliever Nolan Kingham for assignment, a move that places Kingham in the waiver and potential release or trade window.

Montgomery’s recall is the headline within the Rangers’ bullpen and starting-pitching depth shuffle. According to the team announcement as reported by Yahoo Sports, Montgomery missed all of the 2025 season and also the beginning of 2026, before now coming off the injured list and back into game action.

Montgomery’s activation creates immediate questions about how Texas will structure its next series of pitching plans. A return from a long IL stint typically changes rotation and bullpen usage, especially for a club that needs reliable workload management and matchup flexibility in the dog days of summer.

For Kingham, the DFA means his tenure on the 40-man roster has ended for the time being. Once a player is designated for assignment, the organization must decide whether to keep him by claiming him through waivers, trade him, or remove him from the roster through a subsequent transaction. The Rangers’ decision indicates that the organization values Montgomery’s availability more at this moment than Kingham’s current roster spot.

The Rangers’ front office move also reflects the roster arithmetic that teams face as they try to balance health, performance, and long-term planning. Activating a player from a 60-day IL slot is not just about getting him eligible to pitch again, it also forces the team to weigh which pitcher can best be absorbed by the active and reserve group.

While the move itself is clear, the downstream effects are still worth watching. Texas will need to confirm how it will deploy Montgomery in the coming days, including whether he is viewed as a starter to reclaim a rotation role or as a leverage option out of the bullpen. Likewise, Kingham’s DFA outcome will determine whether Texas retains his services in another form or the right-hander moves on.

The Rangers are now operating with a new pitching picture that hinges on Montgomery’s readiness after an extended absence and on the resolution of Kingham’s designation for assignment. If Montgomery’s return is as seamless as the activation implies, it gives Texas additional control over its late-season matchups; if it is not, the club may need to adjust quickly.

For fans, the next steps are straightforward to track: Montgomery’s first outing after activation, the timing of any corresponding rotation or bullpen adjustments, and the league-wide reaction to Kingham’s placement on waivers, if Texas proceeds in that direction.