Rocker could be next man up as injuries impact TEX rotation

PEORIA, Ariz. -- In the midst of his third Cactus League start, Kumar Rocker may have become a little bit more important to the Rangers.

In Peoria, Rocker took the mound against the Padres Friday night, while Jon Gray was already an inning into his own start against the Rockies at Surprise Stadium. But Gray left the game with a trainer in the fourth inning in Surprise after getting hit on his throwing hand with a 106.4 mph comebacker off the bat of Michael Toglia. Gray was diagnosed with a right wrist fracture after the game, which is potentially another sizable blow to the Rangers' rotation.

With Cody Bradford down to start the season due to elbow soreness, former college teammates Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter were already battling it out for the final rotation spot come Opening Day. Now, they could both slot into the rotation if Gray needs to miss time as well.

“Obviously, I hope Cody recovers well, and I hope we see him back in April soon,” Rocker said. “I want to keep trying to get better and put the team in position to win games when it comes to the season. However things may happen, I just want to be a winning pitcher out there for the guys around me.”

Against the Padres’ potential Opening Day lineup on Friday, Rocker allowed three runs in 2 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two, while only throwing 33 of his 61 pitches for strikes. It wasn't nearly perfect, but it was much cleaner than his two previous Cactus League outings, when he allowed eight runs across two innings.

“I felt great,” Rocker said. “A lot better than the last couple outings. It was fun. The adjustments that were made before the start were good. But still, when I'm ahead in the count, I want to see those breakers be a little bit better. I like the ones I landed tonight, and I like the fastball command. I’m just getting more comfortable out there. I feel like I settled in the second inning and I needed to go out there in the third and settle in better. It just didn't work out that way, and you got to be better.”

On March 9, Rocker spoke to reporters about his trip to the pitching lab in Surprise and how he was working to clean up some mechanical issues that were causing his timing and sequencing to get a little bit out of whack.

It was better on Friday and in his last Minor League game outing, but he still hung a middle-middle slider to Luis Arraez, who promptly sent it into the Padres bullpen for a solo homer.

“It's a little different throwing to lefties, but that ball needs to be down, obviously,” Rocker said. “You throw to a good hitter like that, that's what's going to happen if you hang a breaker in a 1-2 count. I got to be better inside and inside the counts. Once the count was in my favor, I kind of backed off and didn't really finish anybody, so that’s more things to work on later.”

Whether it’s Opening Day or shortly afterward, Rocker figures to be an important part of the Rangers’ plans in 2025.

In 2024, Rocker returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 1.74 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings between Double-A (five starts), Triple-A (two) and the Majors (three) following his return to the mound.

Once his mechanics get synced back up fully -- like they were in 2024 -- Rocker will be in prime position to contribute to the big league club.

“I’ve seen better command of the offspeed pitches, he didn't have that earlier this spring,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “It's hard trying to pitch with one pitch, the fastball. That doesn't work, especially facing Major League hitters. He’s getting better. That's what you want to see. Since he’s come out of the lab, I think he's a lot more comfortable with his delivery. I think we'll see more of the Rocker that we know.”