Rangers' Kyle Gibson (UC) allowed to sit out season

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kyle Gibson is not required to participate in MLB's planned 60-game season because he has ulcerative colitis.

What It Means:

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune disorder, which makes Gibson a "high risk" individual amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The designation means Gibson can elect to sit out the 2020 season and still receive his full pro-rated pay, though it's not clear when such players have to decide if they will opt-out. Gibson signed a three-year, $28 million free agent deal with the Rangers last offseason after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Minnesota Twins organization.

The 32-year-old right-hander recorded a 4.84 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 160 strikeouts and 56 walks across 160 innings with the Twins last season. His ERA spiked up from 3.62 in 2018, but 22.7 strikeout rate was a career-high.