The Rangers optioned Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.
Texas won't immediately replace Leiter in its rotation, but the rookie right-hander will cede his spot on the 26-man active roster to right-hander Shaun Anderson, who was called up from Round Rock and will provide some length out of the bullpen in the short term. Leiter's demotion comes one day after he failed to escape the second inning in the Rangers' 7-4 loss to the Guardians. He's labored in each of his first three big-league starts, giving up 17 earned runs on 18 hits and six walks while striking out seven across 9.1 innings.