Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Texas Rangers will promote starting pitcher Kumar Rocker. Rocker, the number three pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, will make his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. He will need to be added to the 40-man roster prior to his start.
BREAKING: Kumar Rocker is being promoted to the major leagues, will start for the Rangers on Thursday at Seattle. https://t.co/OIegWqZ7h7
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) September 9, 2024
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Rangers Promote Kumar Rocker to Big Leagues
Mixed Messages
Manager Bruce Bochy poured cold water on the rumor that the Rangers were calling up their top pitching prospect earlier this week. However, general manager Chris Young said it was still a possibility a short time after that.
Taking The Roundabout
Rocker was teammates with Jack Leiter at Vanderbilt University. They were both considered the cream of the crop of the 2021 MLB Draft. Leiter went to the Rangers with the second overall pick. Rocker dropped to tenth and was selected by the New York Mets. However, due to questions over the young hurler’s physical, the Mets didn’t sign him.
Rocker elected to sign with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. This helped him maintain draft eligibility, but his stock was expected to fall. Experts were stunned when he was selected by the Texas Rangers as the third overall pick in 2022.
Another Tommy John Casualty
The phenom sparkled in his first six starts in High-A ball before succumbing to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Rocker returned to pitching in July this season.
Meteoric Rise
After struggling to find his command in his first five outings, Rocker has forced the Rangers’ hand with his performance. He jumped from the Arizona Complex League to Double-A. He made five starts before being promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. In 29 2/3 innings, Rocker has fanned 47 while only walking four, and features a minuscule ERA of 0.91.
In his seven starts this year, Rocker has only allowed one run. If the rookie proves to be half as good at the big league level, the Texas Rangers have a star on their hands.
Photo Credit: © Benjamin Chambers/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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