Texas Rangers vs Oakland Athletics Picks and Predictions April 29th 2025

Athletics Turn to Jacob Lopez to Keep Rolling Against Rangers

The Oakland Athletics continue to thrive in close contests, and they’ll look to maintain their momentum Tuesday night when Jacob Lopez makes his first major league start of the season against the Texas Rangers.

Athletics Lean on Lopez Amid Rotation Changes

Left-hander Jacob Lopez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will step into the rotation following J.T. Ginn’s placement on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Lopez was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, where he went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three games (two starts).

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“Lopez has some big-league experience so we will get what we can out of him and try to piece together the rest,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said.

Lopez has made three major league relief appearances this season, including 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Rangers on April 22. He also made eight appearances (two starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays between 2023 and 2024.

Given Lopez’s past outings and the Athletics’ gritty play lately, the latest MLB Game Tips suggest Oakland might offer value once again in another tight matchup.

A’s Continue to Win the Close Ones

Tyler Soderstrom’s two-run double powered the Athletics to a 2-1 victory on Monday, giving them their third straight win over Texas — all decided by three runs or fewer.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way they played tonight and fought to win,” Kotsay said after Monday’s victory.

Oakland’s bullpen was stellar again, allowing just one baserunner over the final three innings to seal the win.

Rangers Turn to deGrom in Search of Stability

Texas will counter with Jacob deGrom (0-1, 3.33 ERA), who is still seeking his first win of the season. DeGrom pitched well against the Athletics last Thursday, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, though Texas eventually lost the game in walk-off fashion.

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“I feel close,” deGrom said after his last outing. “There’s still work to do, but I’ll probably say that between every start.”

Despite solid performances recently, the Rangers have dropped three straight and their offense has sputtered, recording just six hits Monday, with only one baserunner over the final three innings.

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