CARSON KELLY NEWS

Rangers and catcher Kyle Higashioka agree to $13.5M, 2-year contract with mutual option for 2027

Free agent catcher Kyle Higashioka and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a $13.5 million, two-year contract that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season

1 DAY AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

MLB Remaining Free Agents List

MLB Remaining Free Agents List

NOVEMBER 9 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tigers go from long shots to among betting favorites entering playoffs

The Tigers didn’t act like a franchise poised to make a playoff run when the trade deadline arrived

OCTOBER 1 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Halts hitless skid Friday Kelly started at designated hitter and went 3-for-4 with a home run in Friday's 5-2 win over the Angels.

Impact Kelly, who entered the game hitless in his previous 14 at-bats, snapped that run with a second-inning single. He then launched his second home run as a member of the Rangers in the fourth inning, extending the team's early lead to 4-0. The 30-year-old Kelly has helped out since being acquired by the Tigers at the trade deadline and stolen at-bats from starter Jonah Heim, who has a .543 OPS since the beginning of August.

SEPTEMBER 28 • ROTOWIRE

Carson Kelly's three-hit night guides Rangers past Angels Carson Kelly finished a triple shy of the cycle Friday night for the Texas Rangers, who beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Anaheim, Calif.,...

SEPTEMBER 28 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Jacob deGrom pitches 4 solid innings and the Texas Rangers hit 4 homers in a 5-2 win over the Angels

Jacob deGrom pitched four innings of one-run ball, and Wyatt Langford and Adolis García hit back-to-back homers in the first inning in the Texas Rangers’ 5-2 victory over the Los A...

SEPTEMBER 28 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

MLB's made a lot of rule changes over the past few years. The most noticeable? A pitch clock

Major League Baseball’s rule-change bonanza of 2023 altered a myriad of the game’s details, including cutting back extreme infield shifts, bigger bases and limits on how many times...

SEPTEMBER 26 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

An improbable late-season surge from the Detroit Tigers has them fighting for a playoff spot

The Detroit Tigers were sellers at MLB's trade deadline on July 30

SEPTEMBER 23 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Entering lineup Thursday Kelly will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Impact Texas will make room in the lineup for both of its catchers Thursday, as top backstop Jonah Heim will get a day off behind the plate and serve as the Rangers' designated hitter. Even though Heim sits atop the depth chart, Kelly has still received a fair amount of playing time by the standards of No. 2 catchers since he was acquired from the Tigers on July 28. In 26 games with Texas, Kelly has slashed .250/.308/.333 with one home run, seven RBI and 10 runs.

SEPTEMBER 19 • ROTOWIRE

Yankees going with closer by committee after Clay Holmes' latest blown save

Clay Holmes won’t be the automatic choice as the closer for the New York Yankees in the short term after giving up a game-ending grand slam to the Texas Rangers for his MLB-high 11...

SEPTEMBER 4 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Another blown save for Holmes drops Yankees out of AL East lead and raises questions about closer

Clay Holmes lost the feel for his sinker, his control and perhaps his job as the New York Yankees closer

SEPTEMBER 4 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wyatt Langford becomes first Rangers rookie with walk-off slam in a 7-4 win over Yankees and Holmes

Wyatt Langford hit a game-ending grand slam off All-Star closer Clay Holmes to give the Texas Rangers a 7-4 win over the Yankees and drop New York out of the AL East lead

SEPTEMBER 4 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Taveras delivers game-ending single for Rangers in 3-2 win over Athletics

Leody Taveras hit a game-ending single with one out in the ninth inning and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2

SEPTEMBER 1 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Losing work to Heim Kelly is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.

Impact Kelly appeared to have worked his way into a timeshare at catcher with Jonah Heim earlier this month while the latter was slumping, but the playing time behind the dish seems to be tilting back in Heim's favor. Heim will pick up his third start at catcher in four games while Kelly returns to the bench after he had caught in Saturday's 13-5 loss.

AUGUST 25 • ROTOWIRE

Mitch Keller limits Rangers to 3 singles in Pittsburgh Pirates' 4-0 victory over Texas

Mitch Keller limited Texas to three singles through seven-plus innings following his two poorest starts of the season to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-0 win over the Rangers

AUGUST 21 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

In lineup again Kelly started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Twins.

Impact Kelly made his fifth start in the last six games, including four as the catcher and one at DH. Sunday's hitless effort put a halt to a six-game hit streak, but he could continue to steal at-bats from primary backstop Jonah Heim, who is mired in a 4-for-27 (.148/.233/.296) run.

AUGUST 19 • ROTOWIRE

Extends hit streak in loss Kelly started at designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Twins.

Impact Kelly entered the starting lineup, replacing primary DH Josh Smith, and extended a hit streak to six games. During that stretch, Kelly is 9-for-23 with one home run, six RBI and four runs. Overall, since the Rangers acquired him from the Tigers, Kelly is batting .344/.382/.500 over 10 contests.

AUGUST 18 • ROTOWIRE

Willi Castro's 2-run single highlights 3-run 8th inning as Twins beat struggling Rangers 5-2

Willi Castro drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single and another Minnesota run scored on the play due to a throwing error as the Twins rallied to beat the slumping Texas Range...

AUGUST 18 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fourth start in five games Kelly will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game versus the Red Sox.

Impact It's the second straight start and fourth start over the last five games for Kelly, who is 7-for-21 with a home run to begin his Rangers career. Jonah Heim remains the favorite to see the bulk of the starts at catcher for Texas over the remainder of the season, but the Rangers are riding the hot hand for now.

AUGUST 14 • ROTOWIRE

Crawford carries perfect game into 6th inning, Wong hits 3-run HR as Red Sox beat Rangers 9-4

Kutter Crawford carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and Connor Wong highlighted a 12-hit attack with a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox beat the slumping Texas Ranger...

AUGUST 14 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clubs eighth homer Kelly went 3-for4 with a two-run homer and an additional run scored during Sunday's 8-7 loss to the Yankees.

Impact Kelly started the final two games of the series and was productive in both contests, going 4-for-8 with a walk, a homer, four RBI and three runs. The 30-year-old was acquired ahead of the trade deadline to serve as the primary backup to starting catcher Jonah Heim, but Kelly has started five of Texas' 10 games since the trade. Kelly has a .738 OPS for the season and has gone 6-for-17 with the Rangers, which is significantly more productive than Heim's .619 OPS. Kelly could continue carving out a larger share of the playing time if those offensive trends continue.

AUGUST 12 • ROTOWIRE

Makes Rangers' debut Kelly started at catcher and went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's 10-1 loss to the Cardinals.

Impact Kelly made his debut for Texas after being acquired from the Tigers on Sunday. Jonah Heim remains the starter behind the dish, while Kelly offers well-seasoned backup.

AUGUST 1 • ROTOWIRE

Rangers acquire catcher Carson Kelly from Tigers for 2 minor leaguers

The Texas Rangers have acquired catcher Carson Kelly from the Detroit Tigers for two minor leaguers

JULY 29 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tigers send C Carson Kelly to Rangers The Texas Rangers acquired Carson Kelly from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for fellow catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyler Owens on Su...

JULY 29 • SACBEE.COM

Rangers swing deal with Tigers for catcher Kelly The Rangers made a trade to acquire catcher Carson Kelly from the Tigers on Sunday. Texas will send catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyle...

JULY 29 • MLB.COM