Rangers release Tim Lincecum, putting comeback in doubt
Tim Lincecum’s comeback bid is on hold for the time being. The Texas Rangers decided to grant Lincecum his outright waivers Tuesday after he struggled in the minors, according to multiple reports.
It’s been a tough year for the 33-year-old Lincecum as he attempts to return to the majors after a year away. Lincecum signed with the Rangers in camp, got hurt before he could pitch in spring training and then posted a 5.68 ERA in Triple-A on his rehab assignment.
Why did the Rangers have to make a decision now?
Minor-league rehab assignments can last a maximum of 30 days. Tuesday marked the 30th day of Lincecum’s assignment, so the team had to make a call.
Rangers general manager John Daniels said Lincecum put in a lot of hard work, but the team didn’t feel it was the right time to bring him to the majors.
Lincecum has had tremendous major league career. Rangers and he tried to take calculated risk on comeback. "Despite a lot of good intentions, lot of hard work," Jon Daniels said. "We didn't feel it was the right move to bring Tim up."
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 5, 2018
Why was he released?
Lincecum had the option to remain in the minors with the Rangers, but chose to be released. The team would have been happy with him hanging around in the minors, according to Jon Heyman of FRS.
Instead, Lincecum decided he was better off putting himself back on the market.
What’s next for Lincecum?
That’s unclear at the moment. Lincecum is now 33, and far removed from Cy Young seasons. The last time he pitched in the majors, he posted a 9.16 ERA over 38 1/3 innings with the Los Angeles Angels.
If this were any other pitcher, his career might be over. But Lincecum’s name and previous production still carries weight, so it’s possible another club will pick him up so he can continue his comeback.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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