Rangers Announce Significant Cody Bradford Injury Update

"It's a tough blow for us," president of baseball operations Chris Young said. "But more importantly, really tough for Cody. He's a great person who has worked really hard to get back.

According to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, the exact procedure will be determined during the operation. 

The 27-year-old could undergo either full elbow reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) or the less invasive internal brace procedure. Recovery timelines range from 8–12 months for the internal brace to 12–15 months for reconstruction. 

Young said Bradford’s injury won’t impact the Rangers’ approach in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. He noted that their strategy will be “more related to the performance of the team” than to health concerns. 

Bradford was the Rangers’ most effective starting pitcher in 2024 when healthy, but he missed significant time due to back and rib injuries.

At the time he was placed on the injured list on April 14, Bradford had a 1.40 ERA. He finished that season with a 3.54 ERA over 76 1/3 innings.