Texas Rangers Starting Pitcher Inching Closer to Injury Rehab Assignment

The Texas Rangers have, for the most part, avoided injury in their starting rotation, which is one of the best in baseball.

Jack Leiter missed time with a blister. Kumar Rocker missed time with a right shoulder impingement. Nathan Eovaldi is on the IL now with right posterior elbow inflammation.

The injuries haven’t been too serious. That’s a good thing because the injury to left-hander Cody Bradford has been serious enough to keep him out since opening day.

That could be changing soon.

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Bradford was in Minneapolis with the Rangers for their series finale with the Minnesota Twins. As reported by Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), Bradford threw to live hitters on Wednesday for the first time since he went on the 60-day IL with a left elbow sprain. He threw 22 pitches.

“I left feeling pretty good,” Bradford said. “Elbow feels good, ligament feels good.”

When the Rangers return to Globe Life Field to face the Chicago White Sox on Friday, Bradford will check off the next box that weekend. He’s expected to throw another live bullpen on Saturday and simulate two innings of work, or roughly 35 pitchers.

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Texas manager Bruce Bochy was optimistic enough to say that Bradford could start a minor league rehab assignment “sooner than you think,” per the report.

He also indicated the Rangers would like to have Bradford ready to be able to start a game and pitch five innings by July 4.

Bradford has been indispensable depth to the Rangers the past two seasons out of both the bullpen and in the starting rotation. Remaining healthy has been the issue.

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In 2023 he made his MLB debut and went 4-3 with a 5.30 ERA in 20 games (eight starts) as mainly a spot-start for the Rangers. He made the final roster for the postseason and was part of Texas’ to its first World Series title.

He earned a starting rotation job coming out of spring training last year and pitched well to start the season. But a lower back strain put him on the IL for three months and he didn’t return until August. He still pitched well, as he went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). He struck out 70 and walked 13 in 76.1 innings.

The Baylor standout doesn’t have a blazing fastball. But he works the strike zone effectively. He also gives the Rangers something they have little of in their rotation — left-handed pitching. Right now, Patrick Corbin is the rotation’s only left-hander.

That may change soon.

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