Dunning fired six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and zero walks while striking out five in Saturday's loss to the Orioles. He did not factor in the decision.

EDGE Analysis

Dunning did all he could Saturday, but the Rangers' bullpen couldn't hold up. Six shutout innings lowers Dunning's ERA to 0.60 in 15 innings over three starts. What might be even more impressive is his 16 strikeouts compared to only two walks. Dunning is producing numbers like an ace that the Rangers desperately need.

Dunning didn't factor into the decision in Monday's 1-0 loss to the Rays, giving up two hits and two walks over four scoreless innings. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

After going five innings in his first start of the year, Dunning got the hook a little earlier in this one but still dueled Tyler Glasnow to a standstill for four frames. Dunning tossed 71 pitches (44 strikes), which seems to be about his limit for now in the Rangers' tandem arrangement, and the right-hander will carry a 1.00 ERA and 11:2 K:BB through nine IP into his next start, set for Saturday at home against the Orioles.

Dunning (1-0) earned the win over Toronto on Tuesday, pitching five innings and allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out six.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander looked like he might be in for a tough night when Bo Bichette clubbed a solo home run off him in the first inning, but that was the only run Dunning allowed in the contest. The 26-year-old was expected to tandem start with Wes Benjamin on Tuesday, but Dunning was efficient enough with his pitch count -- he tossed 70 pitches in total (51 for strikes) -- that he remained in the game long enough to pick up the win. After a solid rookie campaign with the White Sox last season, Dunning is off to a strong start with his new team following an offseason trade. He's next expected to start Monday at Tampa Bay.

Dunning will pair with Wes Benjamin as tandem starters, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Texas set its opening-week rotation and the Dunning/Benjamin tandem will throw the fifth game of the regular season, April 6, against Toronto. Dunning, a promising prospect, hasn't pitched much over the last two seasons due to injury, so his pitch count will be monitored. He's expected to open the game, then give way to Benjamin when reaching his pitch limit.

Dunning earned a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 26-year-old apparently showed enough in camp with two runs allowed and a 5:3 K:BB over 8.1 innings to nab a place on the Opening Day roster. Dunning's exact role remains unclear, but he could be utilized as a tandem starter to begin the season, especially with Taylor Hearn and Wes Benjamin also making the roster.

Dunning allowed one hit and struck out three over three scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring game against Arizona.

EDGE Analysis

Dunning entered in relief of starter Kyle Gibson, but he's expected to be a back-end starter for the Rangers. However, manager Chris Woodward plans to use a tandem of starters to fill the fourth and fifth rotation slots. That means a right-hander like Dunning would be coupled with a left-hander like Taylor Hearn or Wes Benjamin. It's unclear which one would open a game or the how the innings count would be broken down between the two.

Dunning pitched 2.1 innings in a "B" game Friday against the White Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Dunning got off to a shaky start but then settled in. After inducing a groundout to the first batter, he gave up singles to three straight batters, reached his pitch limit, and had the inning rolled. Dunning was better in his two full innings after that, giving up two hits and striking out four. Because he hasn't pitched much since 2018, the right-hander is expected to be part of a piggyback situation. The Rangers may have two sets of piggyback tandems among a group that includes Dunning, Taylor Hearn, Kyle Cody, Wes Benjamin and Kolby Allard, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

Dunning allowed one walk over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Dodgers.

EDGE Analysis

Dunning, who was acquired from the White Sox in the Lance Lynn trade, is vying for a rotation spot and may have surged ahead of Kyle Cody and Hyeon-Jong Yang in what was his Cactus League debut. All three pitched Sunday and Dunning was the best of the lot. "I liked the way [Dunning] competed," manager Chris Woodward told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "He didn't get ahead of a ton of guys because his alignment was a little off and he felt like he was yanking everything. But when he needed to make a pitch, he trusted his sinker and was able to get out of the inning." Cody allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over two innings prior to Dunning's appearance, and Yang was tagged for a run on two hits, including a home run, following Dunning. Woodward indicated earlier this spring that Dunning, who has thrown just 34 innings since 2018, would be on an innings count, so if he does end up in the rotation, expect a piggy-back situation for the right-hander.

Dunning will not pitch more than 200 innings this season, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Texas manager Chris Woodward did not specify an innings limit for Dunning or Kyle Cody, but he said neither hurler will reach 200. The Rangers are taking a conservative approach with Dunning, who underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in March of 2019 and threw only 34 innings in 2020. The manager added that Kohei Arihara, Kyle Gibson and Mike Foltynewicz are set as starters. Beyond that, the rotation is not yet solidified, though Dunning is expected to be part of the rotation in 2021.

Dunning was traded from the White Sox to the Rangers on Monday in exchange for Lance Lynn, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Rangers elected to trade away their ace from a season ago, but they'll receive one of Chicago's top prospects in return. The right-hander has appeared in just seven major-league games (all starts), posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 35:13 K:BB through 34 innings. With Texas' starting rotation still very much up in the air for the 2021 season, Dunning figures to have a good chance to crack the Opening Day roster as a starter.