Corey Seager back at DH as Rangers send Jacob deGrom against Blue Jays on Sept 20

What happened

Corey Seager is back in the designated hitter spot and Jacob deGrom gets the ball Sunday afternoon as the Texas Rangers posted their lineup for the September 20 game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field, per Yahoo Sports. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Central.

The full batting order, per Yahoo Sports: Wyatt Langford in left field, Seager at DH, Josh Jung at third base, Duran at shortstop, Nimmo in right field, Burger at first base, Nicky Lopez at second base, Jansen at catcher, and Carter in center field. Spencer Miles is the reported probable starter for Toronto.

Why it matters

The Rangers are chasing something they have not done in nearly three months: sweep a series. Per Yahoo Sports, the last time Texas swept a series was roughly three months ago — and it came against these same Blue Jays, in Toronto, over four games. The symmetry is tidy. The stakes are considerably higher now.

Seager's presence at DH is the kind of lineup note that carries real weight in late September. Yahoo Sports flagged his return to the designated hitter role with a knowing nod toward Nicky Lopez supporters — Lopez holds down second base when the lineup is operating at full strength, and there he is, batting seventh, right where he belongs. When Seager is unavailable, the downstream effects ripple through the entire order. His return straightens things out considerably.

The deGrom assignment needs little elaboration. Matching him against a Blue Jays club Texas is trying to sweep, at home, with a division lead to protect, is the kind of deployment that explains itself. The Rangers are not being subtle about their intentions for this afternoon.

The numbers

Texas enters Sunday at 78-77 (.503), sitting first in the AL West with a division magic number of 7. The Rangers are riding a two-game winning streak heading into this afternoon's series finale.

Those numbers tell a story that is equal parts encouraging and clarifying. A 78-77 record is not a comfortable perch — it is a working lead, the kind that demands continued attention rather than celebration. A magic number of 7 with the regular season winding down means Texas controls its own fate, but only so long as it keeps winning games like the ones it has been winning. There is no margin in that record for a prolonged stumble, which makes the sweep attempt feel less like an ambition and more like a professional obligation.

The record also provides useful context for what this roster has been asked to absorb. Texas has been managing a significant amount of roster turbulence across the past week, navigating injuries and returns while maintaining a division lead. That the team sits at 78-77 and first in the AL West despite all of that is either a testament to organizational depth or a reminder that the AL West has been an interesting place to watch baseball this September — probably both.

Where the club stands

First place in the AL West at 78-77, with a two-game winning streak and a division magic number of 7, is where the Rangers find themselves Sunday morning. After the Toronto series concludes, the schedule brings the New York Mets to Globe Life Field for back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sean Manaea is the reported probable for New York on Tuesday, September 22, and Nolan McLean is listed for Wednesday, September 23. Texas's probable starters for both of those games are currently listed as TBD.

That upcoming Mets series is worth noting in context: the Rangers will need to have their rotation sorted out quickly after Sunday's game, and the uncertainty around those probable starters is something to monitor as the week develops. A team with a magic number of 7 and two consecutive TBD starters on the schedule is a team with some decisions to make before Tuesday afternoon arrives.

What we don't know yet

The Rangers have been managing a roster that has seen considerable movement in recent days. A week removed from Josh Jung's return from the injured list — he is batting third in Sunday's lineup — the club is still navigating the health of several key contributors.

Cal Quantrill exited his start early the day before with right lat tightness and is scheduled to undergo an MRI, per earlier Yahoo Sports reporting. The results of that MRI have not been reported, and his availability going forward is uncertain. That is a meaningful variable for a rotation that is already listing its next two probable starters as TBD. The timing could hardly be less convenient: a potential rotation piece heading into an MRI the same morning the club needs to start planning for a Mets series is the kind of overlap that keeps pitching coaches awake.

Joc Pederson, recovering from a left hand fracture, was reported to be making progress as of earlier this week, but no timetable or roster status update has been reported since. Nathan Eovaldi, who returned from a month-long absence due to elbow inflammation and delivered 4 scoreless innings in relief earlier in the week, is back in the mix — but the degree to which he can be relied upon across the final stretch of the regular season is still being established game by game.

Robert Garcia returned from the injured list to bolster the bullpen, per earlier reporting, giving the Rangers additional depth in relief. How that bullpen is configured behind deGrom on Sunday, and how it is shaped for the Mets series, remains to be seen. September roster rules allow for an expanded active roster, which gives Texas some flexibility in how it deploys its available arms — but flexibility is only useful if the arms are healthy enough to use.

What to watch

### Is the rotation set for the Mets series?

Not yet. Both Tuesday and Wednesday starters are listed as TBD, and the Quantrill MRI results — whenever they are reported — will likely inform how Texas fills those slots. A healthy Quantrill would be a meaningful piece of the puzzle; an extended absence would put additional pressure on a staff that is already being asked to carry a division lead into the final days of the regular season. The Rangers have shown they can navigate adversity this week, but the rotation question is one that will need an answer before the Mets arrive.

The sweep attempt is the immediate focus. Texas has deGrom on the mound, Seager back in the lineup, and a two-game winning streak to extend. The magic number is 7. The math is straightforward. The execution, as always in late September, is the part that requires watching — and this afternoon at Globe Life Field, the Rangers have arranged things about as favorably as they can to get it right.