There was a Major League Baseball trade this past Thursday between the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. The Braves acquired pitcher Dane Dunning of Orange Park, California from the Texas Rangers for Jose Ruiz of Guacara, Venezuela and cash. While Ruiz has been reassigned to the Round Rock Express of the Pacific Coast League, Dunning is now part of a Braves bullpen. This is his first full season as a relief pitcher after five years as primarily a starter with the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. So far, Dunning has been productive as he has a respectable earned run average of 3.29 after six appearances. This came after Dunning had an earned run average of 5.31 as a starter and a reliever last season.
2025 MLB Statistics with the Rangers
Dunning pitched five games for the Rangers in 2025, and did not have a decision. He did have two saves in 13 2/3 innings pitched, and gave up 11 hits, five earned runs, two home runs and six walks, to go along with 12 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.24.
Dunning had two unconventional saves this season with the Rangers. Dunning closed out the games by throwing three innings each in a 15-2 Rangers win over the Braves on April 29, and in a 6-0 Rangers win over the Baltimore Orioles on July 2. In these two appearances, Dunning threw six innings, and gave up two earned runs, six hits, one home run and three walks, to go along with four strikeouts and an earned run average of 3.00.
2025 MLB Statistics with the Braves
Dunning made his Braves debut on Sunday in a 4-2 Braves loss to the New York Yankees. He once again had an earned run average of 3.00 after three innings pitched. Dunning gave up two hits, one walk, and one earned run, to go along with two strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.00.
World Series Champion
Dunning won a World Series with the Rangers in five games in 2023. Texas beat the Arizona Diamondbacks four games to one. Dunning threw 2 1/3 productive shutout innings in the 2023 World Series as a reliever, and did not give up an earned run. He did give up three hits and one walk in the 10 batters he faced. This was the first and only World Series title in the history of the Rangers franchise.
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