ARLINGTON -- The Rangers¡¯ starting rotation seems to grow more uncertain every day -- Friday¡¯s pregame placement of Max Scherzer on the injured list was the latest in a spate of setbacks -- but they began the night hoping they could fill at least one hole with Jos¨¦ Ure?a, who has been adaptable and dependable in various pitching roles this season.

After an 11-6 loss to the Red Sox at Globe Life Field, now even Ure?a hasn¡¯t escaped the recent run of misfortune. He allowed seven earned runs on eight hits Friday in four-plus innings, the hardest he has been hit in seven starts and 26 total appearances this season.

After Wilyer Abreu¡¯s scorching 112.2 mph two-run shot to right field in the second inning, Ure?a got knocked around in the fourth by Tyler O¡¯Neill (106.5 mph single), Rafael Devers (106.5 mph double) and Abreu again (109.1 mph single). Connor Wong also had a soft liner to right that fell for an RBI single. Ure?a gave up four hits on just six pitches to start the fourth inning.

¡°We tried to attack ... I used my changeup, I tried to get it in the bottom of the zone and they didn¡¯t swing at that pitch,¡± Ure?a said. ¡°When we were using the change in the count we needed and we threw down ... they didn¡¯t swing, so we had to squeeze some more of the zone. They took advantage of those mistakes.¡±

Jarren Duran led off the fifth and chased Ure?a with a triple, scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Prior to Friday, the veteran Ure?a had a 2.84 ERA in 31 2/3 innings as a starter this year and a 3.22 ERA in 44 2/3 innings as a reliever.

Before the game, manager Bruce Bochy praised Ure?a¡¯s contributions, saying, ¡°He¡¯s done a terrific job -- starting, relieving, long relief, high-leverage situations -- he¡¯s a pro.¡± Afterwards, Bochy didn¡¯t think Ure?a¡¯s performance was as subpar as his stat line.

¡°I thought Jos¨¦ had really good stuff -- he got some balls in the middle, but they did some good hitting there,¡± Bochy said.

Ure?a joined the rotation Friday because three of the last five pitchers the Rangers have started aren¡¯t available right now: Scherzer, Jon Gray (injured this week) and Michael Lorenzen (traded this week). Bochy said Scherzer should be back as soon as he is eligible to come off the IL.

¡°He actually thinks in a couple more days he could be ready, but we have some concern for him,¡± Bochy said. ¡°We want to take care of him and have him for the rest of the year. That's why we're giving him a break right now.¡±

Only Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney remain among the Rangers¡¯ rotation regulars at the moment. So the Rangers will need workmanlike spot starts out of some of their lesser-used pitchers in the near future -- Ure?a among them -- if they hope to stay competitive in the American League West division title race.

Whom Bochy will turn to Saturday was, at least officially, anybody¡¯s guess after Friday¡¯s game. Perhaps lefty Cody Bradford, perhaps a bullpen game, or even some reinforcements from the Minors? No starter was announced.

¡°You¡¯ve got to piece it together and you keep battling, that¡¯s all you can do,¡± Bochy said. ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine [Saturday], we will get some fresh arms, if we have to bring somebody up, we¡¯ll do that.¡±

Having dropped six of their past seven games, the Rangers are in one of their most challenging funks this season.

¡°We¡¯ve been here before, we¡¯ve had a bad stretch late last year, too, and turned things around,¡± said Corey Seager, who hit two solo homers among the four long balls the club hit off Boston starter Kutter Crawford. ¡°It¡¯s on us now. Nobody else.¡±