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Its A Dream Come True Again Rangers Cott
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ARLINGTON, Texas The Major League Baseball trade deadline is over. With Joey Gallo, Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy now donning Mitchell Trubisky Jersey different color pinstripes in the northeast, opportunity is knocking on the door for those still wearing Texas Rangers red, white and blue.While most of these Rangers are trying to either build off positive starts to the season or turn a rough campaign around, one player got his first opportunity in quite some time.The Rangers lost Friday night's game by a score of 9-5 to the Seattle Mariners, but Jharel Cotton arguably earned the largest moral victory of the season. After starter Kolby Allard was booted from the game after three innings and seven earned runs, Cotton aided in a joint effort to preserve some of the bullpen with two solid innings of work.What's significant about the outing? It was his first appearance in the big leagues since September 24, 2017 as a member of the Oakland Athletics."I was so excited, I couldn't sleep last night," Cotton said with Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey a smile. "This morning I drove up here just full of excitement, and not knowing I was going to pitch today. I was ready, and of course the game went the way it did. They called my name and I was like, 'oh my goodne s, I'm going to pitch today!' It's been three years ... it's great to be back in the big leagues."Cotton was once a promising pitching prospect in the Oakland system and even made a great first impre sion in his first five Major League starts in 2016. Cotton went through some growing pains Dan Hampton Jersey the following season, but then was bitten by the Tommy John bug that forced him to mi s all of the 2018 season.Cotton pitched in the minor leagues in 2019, but failed to recapture his previous form that made him the A's No. 4 prospect in 's 2017 rankings. The A's moved on from Cotton, and the Chicago Cubs swooped in and purchased him from Oakland.But it wasn't a great fit with the Cubs. They asked him to go to a bullpen role, which Cotton admittedly fought against. Then after an underwhelming performance at the Cubs' alternate training site, Cotton was released.Scroll to Continue"Life throws you ups and downs," Cotton said. "If you fall, you've gotta get up somehow. I didn't stre s about it. I know God had a plan. I know for a fact that my time in baseball wasn't over."The Rangers scooped him up this past winter with a similar intention that the Cubs had: a bullpen role. This time around, Cotton embraced the challenge, put his head down, focused on his craft and earned a big league call-up after posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and the highest strikeouts-per-nine (12.2) of his profe sional career in 24 appearances with Triple-A Round Rock."I wouldn't say I gave myself a timeline," Cotton said. "I wasn't gonna rush on coming up to the big leagues. I wanted to take it day by day and work on what I've gotta work on. Last month, I finally hit Taylor Gabriel Jersey my stride. Everything has been going well for me."Everything is going well now, but it wasn't an easy road back to the show. The last three years have had their trials, roadblocks and struggles. But Cotton had a great support system, and they rejoiced along with him when he called them Thursday night Eddie Goldman Jersey to let them know he'd finally made it back to the big leagues."Of course, there was a fight. There was a little bit of a struggle," Cotton said. "My wife, she helped me out a lot with the mental side of things. Today's a great day. She's here with me right now with my baby girl, Zola. Just for them to come watch me pitch three years later in the big leagues, it's a dream come true ."More From SI's :