Observations from the Texas Rangers' 6-5 spring training loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Texas Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford throws in the bullpen during a spring training workout at the team's training facility on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz.MESA, Ariz. — The days can kind of roll on top of each other in spring training.
The years can too. Like, in Cody Bradford’s case, his birthday lands around the start of exhibition games each year. He turned 27 years old on Saturday and had some folks over for a shrimp boil to celebrate. It’s become tradition.. He wants to be a starting pitcher. He could wind up in the bullpen. He went through a similar ordeal last spring but broke camp in Texas’ rotation. It worked well for him and the Rangers when theHe put his best foot forward toward that in his Cactus League debut against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Sloan Park. He pitched two scoreless innings, let up one hit and struck out two big leaguers .“Outstanding, wasn’t he?” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Really nice job, throwing his strikes, Cody was Cody today. Good day for him.”Get it? Like bullPEN. Anyways, the 26-year-old left-hander pitched a scoreless inning as part of his spring debut Sunday. The Rangersin exchange for Michael Lorenzen at last year’s trade deadline. He turned into a popular arm in the Rangers’ bullpen, too, and had a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3 second-half innings.“We all love Walter,” Bochy said. “He’s such a fun guy to be around, but also such a competitor. He took the ball probably a couple times when he was probably pretty tired, but we needed him.”The Rangers are 0-3 through their first three Cactus League games. Don’t blame either Alejandro Osuna or Trevor Hauver., walked, stole second base and drove in a run against the Cubs Sunday. The 22-year-old made a sliding catch in Friday’s opener against Kansas City and also ran into an out on the basepaths. He’s in contention for the Most Fun Position Player To Watch Award this spring.“I’d heard a lot about him and seen a little bit of him in the fall league last year,” Bochy said. “He’s doing what you want to see, man. I love the way he plays, I love his energy. He’s not afraid.” Hauver, 26, was acquired from the New York Yankees in exchange for Joey Gallo alongside Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Glenn Otto. He’s yet to crack the major leagues like the other three, but, through three games, he’s the only Rangers to have hit a homer. He’s done so twice, and hit one off of Chicago’s Keegan Thompson on Sunday.Bochy knows catchers. He was one in the big leagues. He managed one of the best in Buster Posey with the San Francisco Giants. So it’s worth taking note of the way he speaks about Malcolm Moore.“He’s a pleasure to be around, he’s just trying to soak up everything,” Bochy said. “He’s a learner, man, this kid’s going to be a good one.”and, on Sunday, he caught a few innings and collected his first Cactus League hit when he singled off of left-hander Riley Martin in the eighth inning.Texas Rangers prospect Alejandro Rosario expected to undergo season-ending elbow surgeryThe Rangers selected Hagaman, a relief pitcher out of West Virginia University, in the 4th round of the 2024 draft.Shawn covers the Texas Rangers and other Dallas-area sports for The News. He joined The Dallas Morning News after covering UConn basketball, football and high school sports for The Hartford Courant. A Boston area native, Shawn graduated from Springfield College in 2018 and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Baseball America.
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