ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) — Esteban Loaiza’s spot in the Texas Rangers’ rotation lasted one turn.
The righthander is out indefinitely with a broken fifth metacarpal bone in his pitching hand, which he caught in a car door following Saturday night’s 8-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Loaiza made his first start of the season Tuesday after 10 relief appearances and gave up five runs and nine hits over five innings while not figuring in an 11-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He has no record and a 7.52 ERA this year.
In his first full season with the Rangers, Loaiza was acquired last May from Pittsburgh for promising second baseman Warren Morris and pitcher Todd Van Poppel. But he has yet to establish himself in the American League, winning three times in 15 starts.
Loaiza allowed at least one run in nine of his first 10 games this year and gave up a total of five runs and nine hits over four innings in his final two relief appearances.
The 27-year-old was 6-5 with a 4.52 ERA in 21 games for Pittsburgh in 1998 before going 3-6 with a 5.90 ERA in 14 starts for the Rangers.
Loaiza is 27-28 in 107 games since signing with the Pirates eight years ago as an undrafted free agent. He went 11-11 with a 4.13 ERA in 1997, topping Pittsburgh in innings (196 1/3) and tying for the team lead in wins.
The Rangers entered play today with the fourth-worst ERA in the AL at 5.38 and were then pounded by the Orioles, 16-5.
Texas replaced Loaiza on the roster by calling up pitcher Ryan Glynn from Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League. Glynn pitched the ninth inning today and allowed three runs and four hits, serving up a three-run homer to Charles Johnson.