The Astros reportedly agreed to a contract with former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel -- who was released by the Rangers on Thursday.

The Houston Astros have confirmed the signing of veteran closer Craig Kimbrel, strengthening their bullpen as they head toward the MLB postseason. The move comes after Josh Hader was sidelined with a shoulder injury, leaving Bryan Abreu to step into the closer role.

The Astros were the last team to change leagues when MLB moved the franchise to the American League West to balance out the 30 teams in MLB. With the Astros’ move to the AL West, each division had five teams, and it sparked a new, consistent rivalry with the Texas Rangers that wasn’t dependent on Interleague scheduling.

In the same time period, the Mariners have gotten hot and the Rangers were hot for a quick second. The Mariners actually tied the Astros for first place earlier this week and the Rangers crept up to within 4.

LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 7-3, .261 batting average, 4.04 ERA, outscored opponents by 17 runs Rangers: 6-4, .268 batting average, 3.44 ERA, outscored opponents by 10 runs

The Texas Rangers are in the midst of a 3-7 skid over their last 10 games. The offense has struggled mightily all season outside of Wyatt Langford, Marcus Semie

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a tight win over the Astros on Monday. Texas got a quality start from Nathan Eovaldi, and Houston came up short despite two homers from ...

The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have played each other 266 times during the regular season. The Rangers have a slight edge in those matchups, leading 134-132.

GO DEEPER Astros vs. Rangers ALCS predictions, pitching matchups and what you need to know The Rangers and Astros didn’t play each other until 2001, the 30th year of the Rangers’ existence.