Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle mentioned that he wasn’t very aware of the no-hitter being thrown by Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez.

Mahle explained, “It also helps that our dugout setup makes it hard to see the game. With everyone sitting in front of me, I couldn’t really watch what was happening on the field.”

Mahle, whom the Rangers signed last December in the midst of his Tommy John surgery rehab, made his season debut in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Astros at Globe Life Field.

“It felt great,” Mahle said. “It felt like I never left. I was really happy to be able to go out and to be able to compete with these guys.”

In his first start since April 27, 2023, with the Minnesota Twins, Tyler Mahle gave up one run on five hits, a walk, and two strikeouts. He threw 76 pitches—two more than in his last minor league rehab start with the Triple-A Round Rock Express on July 31—across five innings, surpassing the number of innings he pitched in any of his six minor league ramp-up games.

“I was happy to complete five innings because I think that was the limit,” Mahle noted. “I’m not sure if they would have let me continue beyond that. I’m glad I managed to reach that milestone.”

Having not started a game in 467 days and with only six starts in the past two seasons, Mahle downplayed concerns about a slow start when addressing reporters on Saturday, stating that when “the ball is in my hand, it’s go-time.”

The 29-year-old right-hander ultimately delivered one of Texas’ standout performances in recent weeks.

He deftly navigated traffic in the top of the first inning after Alex Bregman reached on a one-out double and Yainer Diaz reached on a two-out single to present a first-and-third situation. Mahle got Jeremy Peña to hit into an inning-ending pop-out, then struck out two batters (Jon Singleton and Zach Dezenzo, both on high fastballs) as part of a perfect second.

Mahle allowed his lone run in the fourth inning after Peña walked, took second on a Singleton single, reached third base on a would-be double play ball that second baseman Marcus Semien was not able to throw to first and scored on a Jake Meyers blooper that dropped in front of right fielder Adolis García.

He generated seven swings-and-misses and reached 94.2 mph with his fastball.

 

“I thought he did a great job, he really did,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s just got a calmness about him. I thought he located well. He looked great out there, I thought.”