Otto called up, Howard to COVID-i.l.

Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images The Texas Rangers have placed pitcher Spencer Howard on the COVID injured list. Howard, who stayed in Boston with the rest of the Rangers players in the COVID protocol, is being replaced on the active roster by Glenn Otto, who is starting tonight and making his major league debut.

The 25 year old Otto came over from the New York Yankees in the Joey Gallo deal. A righthanded pitcher who went to Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas, and to Rice University, Otto was a fifth round pick of the Yankees in the 2017 draft. Like many Rice pitchers, Otto has had issues staying healthy as a pro, but his 2021 season saw him move up the…