Bradford allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Cubs.
Bradford, who could land in the rotation or the bullpen, submitted evidence during his Cactus League debut of his worthiness to be a starter in the regular season. Sixteen of his 24 pitches were strikes, which impressed manager Bruce Bochy. "Outstanding, wasn't he?" Bochy told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. "Really nice job, throwing his strikes, Cody was Cody today. Good day for him." The left-hander pitched well in 2024 when healthy, posting a 3.54 ERA over 14 outings (13 starts).
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Rangers' Alejandro Rosario: Out for season with elbow injury
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Rosario needs elbow surgery and will be sidelined for the entire 2025 season, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
It's not yet clear what type of surgery Rosario will undergo or what his timeline will be for returning to action beyond the fact that he won't pitch this season. According to Rangers general manager Chris Young, the elbow issue is an "acute injury" that Rosario felt after tossing a bullpen during spring camp. Rosario emerged as one of the organization's top prospects after posting a 2.24 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 129:13 over 88.1 innings between Single-A and High-A ball last year.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Hitless Saturday
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Carter batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against San Francisco.
Carter is a spring project, not just because of the back injury that limited him to 162 plate appearances in 2024, but also due to struggles against lefties. His one opportunity Saturday ended with a strikeout; it was a three-pitch at-bat during which the hitter with a reputation for discipline swung at pitches off the plate. Carter is 3-for-37 against MLB southpaws the last two seasons. If he does manage to be a competent hitter, Carter could see time as a leadoff hitter. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has offered conflicting statements about Marcus Semien being the default leadoff batter in 2025, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
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Rangers' Tyler Mahle: Makes spring debut
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Mahle allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two over two innings in Saturday's spring start against the the Giants.
Mahle gave up some loud contact during his Cactus League debut, including a two-run home run to former Ranger Sam Huff. After a couple of seasons marred by Tommy John elbow surgery and a shoulder injury, Mahle is expected to win a job in the Rangers' rotation.
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Rangers' Kevin Pillar: Joins Texas as NRI
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The Rangers signed Pillar (thumb) to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training Sunday.
Pillar said last summer that he was leaning toward retirement, but he later changed his mind and stated in December that he hopes to play in 2025. The veteran outfielder will have a chance to battle for a roster spot during spring training with the Rangers, who would represent the 10th team he's played for over a seven-year span if he's able to make the club. Pillar underwent left thumb surgery during the offseason, but the issue isn't expected to hold him back from taking part in games during the exhibition slate.
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Rangers' Evan Carter: Starting Saturday
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Carter (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants.
Carter has been private about the nature and severity of his back injury, and it's expected to be something the Rangers keep a close eye on throughout spring training and the regular season. He is apparently in good enough condition to take the field Saturday after sitting out Friday's contest, but regular rest days may be necessary, at least for the time being.
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Rangers' Josh Jung: Plays in spring opener
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Jung started at third base and went 0-for-2 in Friday's spring opener against Kansas City.
Jung had a pair of wrist surgeries in 2024 but enters Cactus League play with no limitations. He hopes this will be the first spring in four seasons in which good health is on his side. Jung was delayed last spring due to a calf strain after he tore his labrum in camp the previous year and suffered a stress fracture in his left foot the year before that. That doesn't include the fractured thumb he suffered midseason in 2023 and last year's wrist issues. He's been limited to 168 games of the 324 possible regular season games in his first full seasons in the majors. While the fractures can be chalked up to bad luck and Jung may not be considered injury prone, three significant fractures in a four-year window is an issue.
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Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi: Logs first spring outing
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Eovaldi allowed two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out one over two innings in Friday's spring opener against the Royals. He also hit a batter.
Eovaldi used his entire repertoire over the two innings, and he broke out a new two-seamer, although it was not identified as such in the Statcast box score. "I've been working on that two-seam runner," he told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. "It wasn't as great today. In the offseason, the TrackMan results were awesome." The right-hander said he felt like he was rushing all his pitches down the mound and plans to work on slowing down his mechanics in subsequent outings.
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Rangers' Wyatt Langford: Diagnosed with mild oblique strain
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Langford will be held out of baseball activities for 5-to-7 days after being diagnosed with a mild oblique strain, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
For now, the Rangers are not concerned that this could affect Langford's Opening Day availability. That will depend on a smooth recovery however, which doesn't always happen with oblique injuries. Langford is looking to break out for the Rangers in 2025 after finishing strong last September with a .996 OPS, eight homers and seven stolen bases over 26 contests.
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Rangers' Josh Jung: No limitations
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Jung (wrist) has no physical limitations to start spring training, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Jung had a pair of wrist surgeries in 2024 and was limited to only 188 plate appearances as a result. He reported that he was fully recovered in early January, but that has now been confirmed by his participation in baseball activity early in camp as Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reported that Jung participated in batting practice this week.
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Rangers' Kohl Drake: Nursing back problem
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The Rangers paused Drake's throwing program Thursday while he manages a stiff back, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The injury seems to be of the day-to-day variety, but Drake's prognosis could change if he fails to respond well to rest in the coming days. The 24-year-old is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign in which he posted a 2.29 ERA and 148:31 K:BB across 106 innings covering three levels. If healthy, Drake will likely begin the 2025 season either at Double-A Frisco or Triple-A Round Rock.
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Rangers' Adolis Garcia: Unveils new swing
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Garcia (knee) reworked his swing during the offseason, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
The outfielder is coming off a 2024 season during which he posted career lows in average (.224) and OPS (.684). As such, Garcia worked to remove a loop at the top of swing and generally tighten it up. Texas manager Bruce Bochy described the swing as "quieter" and said Garcia is being more direct to the ball. Bochy also noted the slugger's gait and spring while running the bases, which indicates the patella injury sustained late in 2024 will not be an issue when the Rangers begin Cactus League games.
Pederson (illness) returned to Rangers camp Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Pederson was away from the club for a few days while battling the flu, but he's now recovered and ready to resume workouts. The 32-year-old's first Cactus League game might be delayed a bit since he's a tad behind, but he will have plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day.
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Rangers' Robert Garcia: Completes side session
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Garcia (forearm) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Garcia is slightly behind the Rangers' healthy relievers in camp while he contends with forearm nerve irritation, but he doesn't appear at much risk of missing out on a spot in the Opening Day roster, provided he steers clear of setbacks for the remainder of spring training. He likely won't be available for the Rangers' three Cactus League games over the weekend but could be ready to make his spring debut at some point next week.
Rangers' Evan Carter: Health to be monitored closely
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The Rangers are expected to monitor Carter's back closely throughout the 2025 season, though he's been reluctant to reveal his exact diagnosis, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter made it clear that discussing the back injury isn't exactly his favorite topic. However, he noted that the issue could be considered chronic inflammation since it's flared up in two of his last three seasons. "I kind of want to keep it personal," said Carter when asked about his diagnosis. "It's personal to me and we're going to keep it that way. I can't change it. It's a part of me now, but we've got a plan." This update feels a bit ominous after it was previously reported that he'd enter spring training without any restrictions, as it sounds as though the back injury could flare up at various points during the year. Manager Bruce Bochy noted that the level of concern is low entering camp, but the team plans to monitor the 22-year-old closely, which could mean regular rest days.
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Rangers' Luke Jackson: Goes to Texas on one-year deal
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The Rangers signed Jackson to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Monday.
It's a homecoming of sorts for Jackson, who was drafted by the Rangers and reached the majors for the first time with them. The 33-year-old posted a 5.09 ERA over 52 regular-season appearances with San Francisco and Atlanta in 2024 but did strike out 59 over 53 innings. Jackson should fill a middle relief role.
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Rangers' Josh Sborz: Sent to 60-day IL
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The Rangers placed Sborz (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Monday.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Luke Jackson, whom the club signed to a one-year deal. Sborz underwent surgery on his right shoulder in mid-November and had already been expected to miss the first couple of months of the 2025 season, so his move to the 60-day IL won't alter his timeline for a return.
