Texas Rangers Morning Rundown: Kumar Rocker, Jacob deGrom take center stage

The right-handers, one a rookie and one a Cy Young winner, take the mound at Seattle as the Texas Rangers look into the future.

The first inning Wednesday served as a quick indicator that left-hander Cody Bradford didn’t have his best command. When he doesn’t have that, the pitches he throws in the wrong spot can get hit pretty hard.

The first three hits he allowed, a double, a triple and a homer to the first three batters, were all hit really hard. Bradford wasn’t the only Rangers pitcher, though, to give up hits in excess of 100 mph exit velocity, and the result was 13 extra-base hits by the Diamondbacks en route to a 14-4 victory.

After dropping both games of the short series by a combined score of 20-4, the Rangers might have been happier to get out of Arizona than they are on the final day of each spring training.

Bradford never made the adjustment, something he usually does, and was tagged for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Rangers’ lineup had nine hits, including Marcus Semien’s 20th homer of the season, but needed about 10 more.

A split of the two-game series would have been nice, especially with the Astros losing again, but the Rangers’ playoff hopes became even fainter as they continue to look toward 2025. Next season is what the next two games are all about.

Top prospect Kumar Rocker is scheduled to make his MLB debut tonight at Seattle in the first of four games to end the week at T Mobile Park. Another right-hander, Jacob deGrom, is expected to start Friday night.

Rocker didn’t need to pitch in the majors this season, with no need to be on the 40-man roster to avoid the Rule 5 draft. But the Rangers see a need becuase they will have a need for at least one spot in the 2025 starting rotation, and they want to give Rocker a taste of the big leagues now to prep him for next season.

It feels as if a rotation spot will be his to lose in spring training, just as left field was Wyatt Langford’s to lose six months ago.

DeGrom does need to pitch the final three weeks as he finishes his comeback from Tommy John surgery. Pitching in a major-league game is the final step, as he feels the rush of pitching in a big-league game for the first time since April 28, 2023.

Adrenaline is a real thing, even for a two-time Cy Young winner, and none of his four starts on rehab assignment can replicate the juices he will have Friday night against the Mariners. He’ll get that out of the way now as well as being able to gather information on what needs work in the offseason.

While some Rangers fans may have tuned out on baseball until 2025, be sure to tune in the next two games.

Reasonable expectations

For all the hype that is accompanying Rocker and deGrom to the mound, expectations need to be tempered.

They are still returning from Tommy John surgery, though Rocker has been pumping for a while now. But he’s a prized prospect, one who could (no pressure here) be one of the best pitchers the Rangers have ever produced, and will be protected like one.

He hasn’t gone past five innings this season, and deGrom didn’t clear four innings in any of his rehab starts. These guys aren’t going nine innings in this series or the rest of the season.

No matter how long they’re out there, they should have some success. You just don’t see the kind of dominance Rocker had at Double A Frisco and Triple A Round Rock, and though he’s never faced a big-league lineup, he’s going to get outs tonight. He might allow a few runs, but the stuff is going to play.

The same goes for deGrom, who arguably is the best pitcher in the world when healthy. Expect to see 100-mph fastballs and nasty sliders but maybe be on the lookout for some shaky command while he tries to contain his adrenaline.

Rocker will have some emotions to control, too.

ICYMI …

Good stuff continues to happen at DLLS, the new website/network that launched Aug. 26. Wednesday was a big day, the Mavs crew welcomed Dirk Nowitzki to their show and as I rolled out the ALL Horned Frogs podcast with some help from football coach Sonny Dykes. We keep cranking out the written content, too. Here’s some of the latest Rangers stuff in case you missed it.

So long, but not goodbye

Best Rangers rotation ever

Home cooking

T.R. Sullivan remembers 9/11 journey

DLLS YouTube channel

Doggy video!

No one show this to my husky-loving daughter. Enjoy.

Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com