After last year’s craziness, Kirby Yates, who recently inked a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers, is happy that this summer is normal. Yates can now concentrate on baseball without having to worry about injuries for the first time since the COVID-19 epidemic interrupted the 2020 season. He feels certain that he will be performing at the highest level and is upbeat about his performance in the upcoming year.

With Yates healthy, the Rangers, who made it to the postseason despite having a weak bullpen, hope to have a better chance of winning another championship. With the San Diego Padres in 2019, Yates had a fantastic season that earned him a position on the All-Star team and a Cy Young ballot. But injuries ended his career, and in 2021, he had Tommy John surgery. In 2022, he returned to the Atlanta Braves, but his elbow pain prevented him from playing much.

In his first full season post-surgery with the Braves in 2023, Yates showed promise with a 3.28 ERA and impressive strikeout numbers. He does admit that there is still room for development and some growing pains. He intends to improve even more next year.

When the Rangers reached out to Yates this offseason, he was intrigued. Having previously interacted with a number of the organization’s members, he thinks it makes sense to join their bullpen. Manager Bruce Bochy, who has a reputation for being a great bullpen manager, will decide later on the precise responsibilities that Yates, Jose Leclerc, and Josh Sborz will play in the pen.

The Rangers are hoping that a healthy Yates will offer continuity and lessen some of the uncertainty after their bullpen struggled in the previous season. With Yates in their bullpen, the squad is anticipating a prosperous campaign.