Mendez will be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to start Friday against the Rockies, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The Rangers will turn to Mendez to fill in for the injured Doug Fister (knee) in the rotation. The 23-year-old owns an unremarkable 5.26 ERA across 10 starts with the Express this season, so it may be unwise to expect much from him in his first career big-league start. Fister is expected to spend more than the minimum time on the disabled list, so Mendez could stick in the rotation for multiple starts if he at least holds his own Friday.