mysa
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers will welcome back left-hander Cody Bradford to the starting rotation on Wednesday, as he takes the mound for the first time since the end of the 2024 season following elbow surgery. Manager Skip Schumaker confirmed after Tuesday night's 5-4 victory over the Giants that Bradford would start the series finale instead of making another minor league rehab appearance.
Bradford was a key contributor during the Rangers' 2023 World Series championship run as a rookie, posting a 1.17 ERA over five playoff relief outings. In the regular season that year, he compiled a 4-3 record with a 5.30 ERA across 20 games, eight of which were starts.
His return comes at a critical juncture for Texas, which snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak on Tuesday that had knocked them from the top of the AL West. The club also did not add any starting pitching before Monday's trade deadline.
Key Analysis
Bradford's comeback has been a lengthy process. He went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) in 2024 and entered spring training as a rotation candidate, but elbow problems led to internal brace surgery in June 2025. His recovery was delayed by elbow tightness after his first Triple-A start on April 2, which shut him down for three weeks. He did not pitch again for three months, but in July he struck out 16 batters and allowed just one run over nine innings across four minor league starts.
Meanwhile, Jordan Montgomery, another key figure from the championship team, is nearing his season debut. The 33-year-old threw five scoreless innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, giving up just one run over 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts. He has made eight minor league appearances since mid-June as he rehabs from a second Tommy John surgery.
Montgomery joined the Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline and was stellar down the stretch, going 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season games. He then won two ALCS games, including 2 1/3 innings of relief in Game 7 in Houston, and finished the postseason 3-1 in six appearances. After leaving in free agency, he signed late with Arizona and went 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA in 2024 before missing all of 2025 following elbow surgery.
In eight big league seasons with the Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers, and Diamondbacks, Montgomery owns a 46-41 record with a 4.03 ERA across 166 games (161 starts).
Originally reported by mysa.