The Rangers optioned Rocker to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday.
Rocker made his final start of the season Thursday against Oakland, so the Rangers will send him and Jack Leiter back out to the minors in order to bring in additional bullpen depth in the form of Marc Church and Daniel Robert. Rocker will finish the 2024 campaign with a 3.86 ERA and 1.54 WHIP alongside a 14:6 K:BB through 11.2 innings after making the first three starts of his MLB career in September.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Takes loss against A's
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Rocker (0-2) took the loss Thursday against the Athletics, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out two.
Rocker pitched into the fifth inning for the first time in three starts this season but was attributed his second straight loss. Encouragingly, the rookie didn't walk a batter Thursday after walking six in his first two outings (seven innings). At 24 years old, Rocker is one of baseball's best pitching prospects. He allowed three runs across 29.2 combined innings at Double-A and Triple-A.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Control issues in second start
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Rocker (0-1) took the loss Thursday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks across three innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out five.
Rocker's second start was a bit rockier than his first, needing 71 pitches to complete three frames. In addition to the four walks, he also allowed a baserunner by way of a hit-by-pitch. Despite the control trouble, his one earned run allowed was scored without allowing a hit and the second run allowed came off of a throwing error. The highly touted rookie has allowed one earned run in each of his first two outings spanning seven innings and is set to make one more start to close out the season, coming in a road matchup against either the Athletics or the Angels.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Next start coming Thursday
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Rocker is scheduled to make his next start Thursday against the Blue Jays in Arlington.
Rocker was called up from Triple-A Round Rock last week and ended up taking the rotation spot of fellow rookie and former Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter, who was moved to the bullpen. After submitting stellar numbers in the minors upon completing his recovery from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, Rocker continued to shine in his MLB debut this past Thursday, striking out seven and inducing 17 swinging strikes while allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks over four innings. Rocker was lifted after 74 pitches, and though the Rangers will likely be conservative with his workload over what projects to be two more starts this season, he should be a strong source of strikeouts down the stretch.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Set for MLB debut Thursday
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Rocker will be called up from Triple-A Round Rock to make his major-league debut Thursday in Seattle, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Rangers hadn't initially planned to promote Rocker to the big leagues in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, but the big right-hander has been so dominant that he's forced their hand. Rocker permitted six runs (three earned) over three innings in his third rehab start with the Rangers' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, but in seven outings since then between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, he's collected a 0.91 ERA and 47:4 K:BB over 29.2 innings. He has not thrown more than 72 pitches or gone more than five frames in a start, and Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News has reported that the Rangers would like to keep Rocker at around 50 total innings for this season. If the club sticks to that number, it would leave Rocker with approximately 13.1 frames left in 2024.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: MLB debut in 2024 not ruled out
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Rangers general manager Chris Young on Sunday said the team has not ruled out the possibility of Rocker making his major-league debut before the end of this season, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Rocker has been electric since returning in early July following his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Since moving up to Double-A Frisco and more recently Triple-A Round Rock, he's allowed just three runs while posting a ridiculous 47:4 K:BB over 29.2 innings over seven starts. There are factors working against a potential late-season promotion, chief among them is that the Rangers already have more starters than they have rotation spots. However, if Texas believes there's a real chance Rocker could open 2025 in its rotation, it might make sense to give him a test run this month.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Cleared for rehab assignment
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Rocker (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with the Rangers' Arizona Complex League affiliate Friday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Rocker is finally ready to pitch in a game after having Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. He last pitched at High-A Hickory and could eventually head back to that affiliate once the Rangers feel he's ready.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Tommy John surgery completed
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Rocker (elbow) underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery Monday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
Rocker had his surgery performed in Arlington, Texas under the supervision of Dr. Keith Meister, one of the nation's top orthopedic surgeons. Though Rangers general manager Chris Young stated the elbow injury wasn't related to the pre-draft concerns that resulted in Rocker going unsigned by the Mets in 2021 before he was selected by Texas with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, it's a troubling setback on the health front for the 23-year-old nonetheless. Rocker, who previously underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder in September 2021, will likely be sidelined until late in the 2024 season.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Headed for Tommy John surgery
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Rocker will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow later this week, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The No. 3 overall selection by the Rangers in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, Rocker made his organizational debut with High-A Hickory this season, registering a 3.86 ERA with a 42:7 K:BB over 28 innings. Before signing with the Rangers, the 23-year-old was a first-round pick of the Mets in 2021, but he ended up not signing with the club, due in part to that organization's concerns about his elbow. Rocker will now miss the rest of the 2023 season and likely most of the 2024 season recovering from surgery in what represents a significant setback to his development.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Back on track at High-A
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Rocker has a 3.86 ERA and 42:7 K:BB ratio in 28 innings over six starts at High-A Hickory.
Rocker at age 23 is much older than his competition, but the larger point is that his career looks back on track after a tumultuous last few years. He was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2021 before they learned of a shoulder issue during a post-draft, pre-contract physical. He had arthroscopic surgery in September 2021 and then pitched in the independent leagues. Rocker was then drafted in the first round in 2022 and didn't pitch in affiliated ball until the 2022 Arizona Fall League, where he struggled with his command (12 BB in 14 IP). It looks like he's back on track, and he has the talent to be promoted aggressively, but the Rangers may also want to see him continue to gain confidence at High-A.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Makes spring debut
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Rocker allowed one hit over a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's spring game against the Rockies.
Rocker, who was drafted in the first round of 2022, didn't pitch in affiliated ball until the Arizona Fall League, so he was getting his first taste against big-league hitters. The right-hander threw 13 pitches while mixing in off-speed stuff, and he worked around a leadoff single by getting a flyout and double-play grounder. Rocker's path from Vanderbilt to the majors was a rocky one. He was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2021 before they learned of a shoulder issue during a post-draft, pre-contract physical. He had arthroscopic surgery in September 2021 and then pitched in the independent leagues, giving teams a chance to see him pitch before the 2022 draft. The Rangers may be less aggressive with Rocker than they were with his Vanderbilt teammate, Jack Leiter, who opened his pro career at Double-A Frisco. The 23-year-old Rocker may be headed for High-A Hickory.
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Rangers' Kumar Rocker: Won't debut in minors until 2023
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The Rangers announced Thursday that Rocker won't pitch again until the team's Fall Instructional League camp, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
The 22-year-old right-hander underwent arthroscopic surgery last September but looked plenty healthy while making his professional debut earlier in 2022 for the Tri-City Valley Cats of the independent Frontier League. Though Rocker covered only 20 innings with the Valley Cats before being selected by the Rangers with the No. 3 overall pick in July's first-year player draft, the organization apparently saw enough from him in independent ball to close the books on his 2022 campaign. Rocker, who signed below slot for a $5.2 million bonus, could open his minor-league career in 2023 at Double-A Frisco, just like former Vanderbilt teammate and Rangers organization mate Jack Leiter -- the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft -- did earlier this season.
