WEST SACRAMENTO -- Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker is going on the injured list with mild right shoulder impingement, Bruce Bochy announced Thursday afternoon.
In Wednesday night¡¯s loss to the A¡¯s, Rocker allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings, marking the worst start of his young career. He was previously coming off the best start of his career, when he threw seven innings and allowed three runs against the Angels on April 17.
Bochy said that after Wednesday¡¯s start, Rocker informed head trainer Matt Lucero that his shoulder was bothering him. The medical staff checked him out, eventually revealing the impingement. The Rangers expect it to be a short IL stint, with Rocker missing just two starts.
¡°It could be a time, I guess, to self-reflect or whatever,¡± Bochy said. ¡°The biggest thing is that he gets healthy. He may benefit a bit from the time on the IL.¡±
Rocker had shoulder surgery in September 2021, just months before the Rangers selected him at No. 3 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft.
In his first full season in the big leagues this year, Rocker has a 3.00 ERA at Globe Life Field (four earned runs in 12 innings), but a 15.75 ERA on the road (14 earned runs in eight innings).
¡°It's pretty obvious [the splits] are different,¡± Bochy said. ¡°Some guys are better at home than on the road. That's not too unusual. But you have to execute your pitches on the road, just like you do at home. He just couldn't get settled in [on Wednesday]. That¡¯s part of the growth for a young pitcher, learning to pitch well on the road.¡±
With fellow rookie Jack Leiter (blister) likely to come off the injured list this weekend in San Francisco, he¡¯ll slot into Rocker¡¯s place in the rotation.
In Leiter¡¯s rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, he allowed a hit and a walk with no runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators (an A¡¯s affiliate). He struck out four, with all his pitches sitting around their normal velocity.
¡°It¡¯s good to have depth,¡± Bochy said. ¡°With Leiter back, it¡¯s good to have that depth.¡±