With Tyler Mahle and Cody Bradford experiencing arm issues, the spotlight turns to Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. Trouble is, they are having issues of their own.

With Mahle and Bradford it’s a forearm and an elbow. With Rocker and Leiter, it’s runs, runs, runs.

Rocker has been about as ineffective as a pitcher can be in spring. He had given up four runs per inning in his first two starts, lasting just one inning each. Yesterday, was his third spring start, and it wasn’t much better mainly because it couldn’t get much work. They stretched him out to 2.1 innings. In that brief time on the mound, the 6-ft, 5-in righty gave up four hits, two walks, and three earned runs in another less-than-stellar start. 

If you look at the bright side, his ERA tumbled from 36.00 to 22.85. While it’s been said a million times that spring stats don’t matter (pretty sure Corey Seager still makes the team with his miniscule .161 average), spring carnage does matter. Rocker is overmatched.

Leiter, on the other hand, seems to be figuring things out this spring. He’s tossed ten innings and sports a really nice 2.53 ERA. His six walks are too many but so far he has pitched out of it. This contrasts with how he pitched in 2024 when tossed into the frying pan after Jacob deGrom, Bradford, and Jon Gray went down last year and the Rangers were desperate for starts. He made six starts, giving up runs like they were candy, finally being relegated to the bullpen after a 10.41 ERA.

So, with Mahle and Bradford having issues, the Rangers can’t seriously consider Rocker. Not now. It appears it’s going to fall on Jack Leiter. Hopefully, he’s figured things out and is capable of retiring major league hitters. A lot was made when the Rangers were able to snag the two Vanderbilt stars. Now it’s time for them to make something of it.

*****

TODAY’S CACTUS LEAGUE GAME: 

Texas vs Sacramento, 3:05

Radio: 105.3 FM