The Royals outrighted Barlow to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday after he cleared waivers.
After being claimed off waivers from the Rangers on Aug. 4, Barlow pitched exclusively with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha. He proceeded to give up 16 runs (13 earned) on 26 hits and six walks over 12.2 innings with Omaha before the Royals determined he was no longer worthy of a 40-man roster spot. After going unclaimed off waivers, Barlow will stick around in the Royals organization and will look to right the ship at Omaha.
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Royals' Joe Barlow: Pushed off 40-man roster
Rotowire
Barlow was designated for assignment by the Royals on Friday.
Barlow has been lit up for 16 runs -- 13 earned -- in 12.2 innings of relief at the Triple-A level since the Royals claimed him off waivers from the Rangers in early August. The 27-year-old is off the 40-man roster and back in DFA limbo.
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Royals' Joe Barlow: Claimed by Kansas City
Rotowire
Kansas City claimed Barlow off waivers from the Rangers on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Omaha.
Barlow was designated for assignment last weekend after the Rangers acquired Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton from the Cardinals. The 27-year-old reliever showed a lot of early promise with Texas in 2021-2022, but he has logged just 9.2 major-league innings this season and was sporting an underwhelming 4.21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB across 25.2 innings for Triple-A Round Rock.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: DFA'd by Texas
Rotowire
Barlow was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Sunday.
The right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock in early July and has now lost his place on the Rangers' 40-man roster. Barlow tallied 13 saves for Texas last season but had a 4.66 ERA this year before being demoted, and he wasn't particularly impressive at Triple-A with a 4.21 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 20 outings.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Loses roster spot
Rotowire
Barlow was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Barlow has been used some at closer by the Rangers the previous two seasons, but he hasn't found success this year with a 4.66 ERA in 13 relief appearances. He'll head to Round Rock and try to earn another shot.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Reinstated off injured list
Rotowire
Texas reinstated Barlow (illness) off the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Barlow missed just over the minimum 15 days on the injured list while dealing with kidney stones. The right-hander should return to a mid-to-late innings role in the Texas bullpen now that he's healthy. Owen White was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock in a corresponding move.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Initiates rehab assignment
Rotowire
Barlow (illness) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday and struck out one over a perfect inning of relief in an appearance against Salt Lake.
Barlow is first able return from the 15-day injured list early next week and looks as though he could be in line for activation near his eligibility date if he can turn in another strong rehab appearance or two. The right-hander was shelved in late May after he was diagnosed with kidney stones, but he's apparently made a swift recovery.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Placed on IL with illness
Rotowire
Barlow was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to May 29, with kidney stones, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Barlow will be out for at least the next two weeks. He has allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk in 3.1 innings of relief this season at the MLB level.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Makes season debut
Rotowire
Barlow pitched a scoreless third of an inning in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Atlanta.
Barlow was called up this week and made his season debut Wednesday. He was Texas' closer for stretches in 2021 and 2022, notching 24 saves, but was held back this spring in Arizona due to a velocity drop before joining Triple-A Round Rock. He went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA over 11 relief appearances for the Express, and manager Bruce Bochy said he's comfortable using Barlow in high-leverage situations. That indicates Barlow could be thrown into the setup mix, which has not performed well of late, including Wednesday when Josh Sborz and Brock Burke combined to blow a 5-3 lead in the eighth and ninth innings.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Rangers recalled Barlow from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.
Barlow has been solid in 11 minor-league appearances this year, posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 15 strikeouts through 13.2 innings. His strong 2023 campaign combined with his historically solid MLB resume could warrant him a few high-leverage outings with the Rangers. Cody Bradford was optioned to Round Rock in a corresponding move.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Barlow was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Barlow has recorded double-digit saves in both of his MLB campaigns to date and owns a career 2.81 ERA, so the decision comes as something of a surprise. His ERA estimators, including a 4.73 xFIP and a 4.21 SIERA, tell a much different story about his performance, but he's cruised to a 2.16 ERA this spring while striking out 13 batters in 8.1 innings. Per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, Barlow's decreased velocity this spring is a main reason for the demotion, with the Rangers hoping some mechanical tweaks in the minors will sort things out.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Undergoes wrist surgery
Rotowire
Barlow underwent surgery Friday to separate a pair of fused tendons in his right wrist and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Barlow dealt with blister issues throughout 2022, and the wrist procedure is expected to help curtain those problems. The right-hander served as Texas' closer during the first half of the season and converted 13 of 17 save opportunities, but he landed on the injured list in July shortly after being demoted from the role. He finished the season with a 3.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 28:13 K:BB across 35 innings.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Positive results in rehab
Rotowire
Barlow (finger) struck out two in a scoreless inning Saturday during his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Round Rock.
The rehab appearance was a promising one, as he retired the side on 14 pitches. Barlow is expected to make another appearance for Round Rock on Tuesday or Wednesday.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Barlow (finger) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.
Barlow has missed most of the last two months due to a blister on his finger, but he resumed mound work in early September and will return to game action in the minors Saturday. It's not yet clear how many rehab appearances he'll require before rejoining the big-league club.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Throwing off mound Wednesday
Rotowire
Barlow (blister) will throw off a mound Wednesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.
Barlow could end up missing two months due to blister trouble, with one appearance sandwiched in between absences. Once he is able to return, he should work in a setup capacity.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Makes return from IL
Rotowire
The Rangers reinstated Barlow (finger) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Barlow is back on the active roster for the first time since July 13 after he required more time than expected to recover from a blister on his right index finger. During his most recent rehab appearance Sunday at Triple-A Round Rock, Barlow answered any questions about whether the blister was still affecting his control and command, as he struck out two batters while allowing one baserunner over a two-inning outing. He'll likely slot into a setup role as he rejoins the Rangers, with Jonathan Hernandez having at least temporarily seized hold of primary closing duties for the club.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Rehab moves to Triple-A
Rotowire
Barlow (finger) shifted his rehab assignment from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.
Barlow will make a rehab appearance for Round Rock later Wednesday in what could be his final tune-up outing before returning from the 15-day injured list. When he's likely activated this weekend, Barlow will be rejoining a Rangers bullpen that is a bit thinner after Matt Bush was dealt to the Brewers, but Barlow may still have to settle for a setup or middle-relief role initially. That being said, Brett Martin has been shaky in his recent save chances, so if Barlow pitches effectively upon being activated, he may not have to wait long to get another look as the team's closer.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Nearing return
Rotowire
Barlow (finger) will begin a rehab assignment over the weekend, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Barlow was placed on the injured list July 13 due to a blister. He's set to miss slightly more than the minimum 15 days but should return in early August, barring a setback. Barlow's role will be worth monitoring, as he was removed as closer shortly before suffering the injury. However, Brett Martin has struggled of late, which could open up save chances in Texas.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Earns third win
Rotowire
Barlow (3-1) pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to put himself in line for the win in a 3-2 walkoff victory over the Nationals on Saturday.
Barlow was called in to pitch the ninth with the game tied 2-2. He did his job and let the offense take care of the rest, earning his third win of the season to go along with 13 saves. The Rangers closer has a healthy 2.84 ERA and 0.95 WHIP on the season and doesn't appear to have any competition for the ninth-inning role. However, Barlow's 5.10 xERA and 4.50 xFIP suggest that his numbers could be on the brink of correcting higher.
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Rangers' Joe Barlow: Converts 12th save
Rotowire
Barlow walked one and struck out one in one inning to earn the save in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Tigers.
Barlow has had a messy June, allowing seven runs (five earned) in six innings while converting just three of five save chances. This was one of his less dramatic efforts lately, but he's kept runners off base in only one of his last six outings. The right-hander is 12-for-14 in save conversions overall while adding a 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB across 23.1 innings.
