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Posted at 11:00 AM EST.

8:05 PM EST. Chris Archer has fanned 23 batters over his last 14 frames and 51 batters over his last 33. Archer owns a 2.69 xERA over his last 6 starts, which is tops in all of baseball. Incidentally, current Rangers are hitting .181 against Archer with just one jack in 83 AB’s. Chris Archer is the straight goods but this is more a fade against the Rangers’ first time starter.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx was been rewarded with his first ever promotion to the big leagues back on May 17 and has appeared in four games, mostly as a long reliever. Bibens-Dirkx has been a weary traveler since signing as a 16th-round pick of the Mariners in 2006. He was released in early 2009 and latched on with an independent league team before the Cubs signed him later in the year. He has also pitched in the Nationals, Rockies and Blue Jays organizations, as well as other independent leagues, most recently in 2016. Austin Bibens-Dirkx is 32-years old. He has a versatile, durable arm that allows him to contribute in a number of roles. He has been both a starter and reliever throughout his career and has been remarkably healthy. None of his pitches grade out as above average. His fastball sits between 87-92 mph and he complements it with a cutter, slider, curveball and change-up but so what. A wide repertoire is great when one of your pitches is filthy but this career minor leaguer does not have any plus pitches. They are all average, which is why he’s been in the minors for over a decade. This is a pitcher with over 1000 innings pitched at lower levels. He’s being thrown into the fire here because the Rangers have few other options. With quality pitching being so scarce and watered down, the fact that Bibens-Dirkx has been toiling in lower levels for over a decade without getting a shot, tells us everything we need to know about him. 25 teams later (or thereabouts) and it’s not likely going to work out well.

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