Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young said on Saturday that left-hander Cody Bradford (elbow), who will begin the regular season on the injured list due to a sore left elbow, will not throw for at least four weeks. There was hope that Bradford might have a minimal stay on the IL to open the 2025 season, but this news throws that out the window. Fantasy managers that have already drafted the 27-year-old southpaw in deeper leagues may want to expect him to miss at least the first month of the season now that he'll have to start his throwing program from scratch when he resumes tossing. Texas received more bad news regarding their rotation when right-hander Jon Gray fractured his wrist on a line drive on Friday night. The injuries to Bradford and Gray probably mean that both right-handed pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will begin the year in Texas' starting rotation.

Although an MRI exam on Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford's (elbow) sore left elbow came back clean, he is going to need to start the season on the injured list, according to manager Bruce Bochy. He will be shut down from throwing for up to 10 days to try and get the soreness out. General manager Chris Young said Bradford felt pain in his elbow during his Cactus League start last Thursday. The 27-year-old southpaw had a 1.40 ERA last year when he first landed on the IL on April 14 with nagging back and rib injuries and finished the year with a 3.54 ERA in 76 1/3 innings. It's unclear how much time Bradford might miss to open the 2025 regular season, but his injury now opens up a spot in Texas' Opening Day starting rotation for one of Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker. Either pitcher would have some appeal for strikeout upside in mixed fantasy leagues if they win a rotation spot.

Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford (elbow) has been scratched from his scheduled Cactus League outing on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to general manager Chris Young. Bradford underwent an MRI exam, which came back clean, but he'll be shut down for the next four or five days to get it cleaned up. It's unclear if the 27-year-old will be ready to go for Opening Day now, and between this injury and the injury scare for right-hander Tyler Mahle (forearm), the odds are increasing for both young righties Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker to open the year in the big-league rotation. The Rangers were planning on using Bradford as a starter early in 2025, but this injury could force their hand in moving him to a bullpen role early on. Bradford lacks high-end velocity and high strikeout numbers, but he's a control artist and generates plenty of weak contact.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said it's hard to envision a scenario where a healthy left-hander Cody Bradford doesn't have a role on the team in 2025. Bradford is preparing as a starter in spring training, but Bochy said the Rangers could also give him a role out of the bullpen, where he's pitched well. Texas is leaving their options open with the 26-year-old southpaw after he went 6-3 with a solid 3.54 ERA (3.59 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 70 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 76 1/3 innings over 14 appearances (13 starts) in his second big-league season in 2024. The former sixth-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft out of Baylor University could have been even better last year if not for suffering a stress fracture in his rib cage. Bradford relies on pinpoint control and inducing weak contact, which makes him less attractive in fantasy, but that could change if he's move to the bullpen and sees save chances.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford tossed five innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 9-4 win over the Yankees in Game 2 of their doubleheader, outdueling ace Gerrit Cole. Bradford allowed five hits and no walks while striking out seven, picking up his fourth win of the season. Bradford hadn't been effective in his first two starts off the IL, but the 26-year-old was 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and a 21.1% K-BB% in his three starts earlier in the year. If he is getting back to that type of form, the southpaw could be a valuable waiver wire add heading into the final stretch of the season. His next start lines up at home against Minnesota next weekend.

Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford (back, rib) threw on flat ground on Sunday. He originally landed on the injured list with a lower-back strain after he was unable to throw a bullpen session between starts. The original plan was for Bradford to miss the minimum 15 days, but after further evaluations, doctors found a "very small" stress fracture on the 12th rib on the right side, according to manager Bruce Bochy. Before his injury, the 26-year-old southpaw was the team's best starter, having gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA over three starts. Bradford's recovery has been slower than expected, but Bochy said he's starting to get over the hump. He won't be eligible to return for a couple more weeks now that he was moved to the 60-day IL last week.

The Texas Rangers transferred starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back/rib) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Not much of a surprise here, as Bradford said on Sunday that he was shut down from throwing again because he wasn't recovering quickly enough between sessions. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander had gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 0.62 WHIP while striking out 17 and walking just two over three starts (19 1/3 innings) out of Texas' rotation before going down, ranking among the American League's leaders in wins, opponent average, and ERA at the time of his injury, but he's becoming a tougher stash in fantasy without a clear timeline for a return. With six starters now sitting on the shelf, the Rangers will have to dig into their bullpen as well as their farm system for pitching help until they get healthier.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back, rib) threw on flat ground on Monday. Bradford is progressing from both a lower-back strain as well as a stress fracture on his rib, but he still has several hurdles to clear in his throwing program before rejoining Texas' injury-riddled rotation. There's still a chance at a return before the end of May for Bradford, but he'll likely require at least one minor-league rehab appearance before doing so. The 26-year-old upstart left-hander was returning first-round fantasy value before hitting the injured list, garnering a 1.40 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 17:2 K:BB with wins in each of his three starts (19 1/3 innings) this year, so he's well worth a stash in all leagues. Top prospect Jack Leiter is one of the names filling in for the Rangers at the moment, but he's given up 11 runs in 7 2/3 innings (two starts) and will be hard to trust in Tuesday's home start versus the Cleveland Guardians.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford (ribs) doesn't appear any closer to getting back on the mound. On Friday, Rangers' manager Bruce Bochy said Bradford is dealing with a stress fracture in his rib. The 26-year-old was originally placed on the injured list with back soreness, but it appears to be his rib instead. The organization says Bradford is likely to miss at least a month of action. It's uncertain if there will still be a spot in the rotation available once Bradford is ready to pitch again.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford (back) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. It appears the left-hander picked up a lower back injury at some point during Wednesday's start. This is a shame considering Bradford has pitched well to start the season. Now, the young southpaw is looking at missing at least two weeks of action. In a corresponding move, right-hander Cole Winn has been recalled from Triple-A. The expectation is that Winn will take the spot in the rotation. Fantasy managers should hold Bradford through this injury considering how well he has looked early on this season.

It sounds like Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford is going to stick around in the team's starting rotation. "You throw like that, you're not going anywhere," manager Bruce Bochy said. It means that right-hander Michael Lorenzen might have to start the year in Texas' bullpen as a long man once he gets his arm up to speed after signing late in spring training. The 26-year-old Bradford has been outstanding as a rotation fill-in in his first three starts against the Cubs, Astros and A's, allowing only four runs (three earned) on 10 hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 17 in 19 1/3 frames. Meanwhile, Lorenzen has given up eight runs with 13 K's and nine walks in his three minor-league rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock. Bradford has pitched well enough to warrant an early season waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford continued his unlikely emergence with another impressive start on Wednesday, hurling 6 2/3 strong innings and logging a win during the 6-2 victory over the visiting Oakland Athletics. Bradford ran into some trouble by giving up a run in the first inning, but he settled in to allow just three more hits and one walk from that point on. The 26-year-old soft-throwing southpaw has been a revelation for the defending-champion Rangers in the early goings, featuring a 1.40 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 17:2 K:BB covering 19 1/3 frames. With Jacob deGrom (elbow) and Max Scherzer (back) sidelined for the foreseeable future, Bradford should stick in Texas' rotation until the two aces are ready to return in 2024. Feel free to continue riding the hot hand with Bradford in fantasy, as his next start is set to come against an uninspiring Detroit Tigers offense on Monday.

Texas Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford will begin the season in the starting rotation, according to general manager Chris Young. Young added that the team isn't likely to add to its staff, seemingly ruling out bringing back left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Bradford made eight starts and appeared in 20 games for the Rangers in the 2023 season, working to a 5.30 ERA in that time. However, he also posted a much better 4.14 SIERA while he put forth a healthy 16.7% K-BB% on the back of a tiny 5.1% BB%. He won't provide big strikeout numbers but he has a history of excellent control throughout his minor-league career. He remains a low-end fantasy option even as part of a quality Rangers club coming off a World Series title.