{
  "id": 7817798,
  "title": "Texas Rangers AFL participants announced",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/texas-rangers-afl-participants-announced",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-16T15:48:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/texas-rangers-afl-participants-announced-154809654.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Arizona Fall League participants for the Texas Rangers were announced, featuring a mix of minor league players who missed significant portions of the 2026 season. The roster includes pitchers Alejandro Chiquillo, C Julian Brock, Jesus Gamez, and Mason McConnaughey, as well as outfielders Casey Cook and Paxton Kling. Rookie right-handed pitcher Jacob Johnson rounds out the group. Notably, Johnson was the 11th round pick of the 2025 class and pitched 43 innings with a 2.51 ERA amidst challenges in 2026. Kling, a 7th round pick from LSU, faced a six-week injury due to a broken wrist before returning strong in the final games of the season. Cook, the 3rd round pick from UNC, missed much of 2026 after shoulder surgery and struggled early but rebounded in the latter part of the campaign. McConnaughey, the 4th round pick from Nebraska, missed considerable time due to Tommy John surgery but showed promise in his brief outings. Cook, the 3rd round pick from North Carolina, had a difficult season after shoulder surgery, while Easley, the undrafted free agent from Kansas, was primarily used as a reliever. Brock, the 8th round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, and Chiquillo, the 23rd round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, contributed modestly to the team's efforts. Gamez, the 23rd round pick, contributed 43.1 innings with a solid 3.74 ERA.",
  "summary": "The Rangers’ Arizona Fall League contingent is heavy on players who missed time in 2026",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Jacob deGrom strikes out 8 to lead Rangers over Red Sox 4-2 in series between playoff contenders",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/jacob-degrom-strikes-out-8-to-lead-rangers-over-red-sox-4-2-in-series",
        "published": "2026-09-16T03:23:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Jacob deGrom wanted to stay and is helping keep the Texas Rangers in the playoff chase",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/jacob-degrom-wanted-to-stay-and-is-helping-keep-the-texas-rangers-in-7711366",
        "published": "2026-09-16T04:59:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}