ARLINGTON, Texas — Cody Bradford‘s four-seam fastball is not finishing where he aims it. The Athletics hit 3 home runs off the pitch Wednesday afternoon, all of them over the middle of the plate or up in the zone, in a 9-2 win over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
Bradford has thrown the pitch the same way his whole career. Since the internal brace procedure on his left elbow in June 2025, it has behaved differently.
What Changed With Cody Bradford’s Four-Seam Fastball
Bradford first noticed the change during his rehabilitation, he told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News.
“Pretty much for my whole life, if I set my eyes down and away, and throw my fastball down and away, it pretty much ends up right there,” Bradford said. “It’s not the case right now.”
Bradford said the pitch now carries slight cut and finishes higher than it used to, even though his delivery and his intent have not changed.
Wednesday was his sixth start since returning. All 5 runs he allowed came on home runs, and the Athletics put 6 hard-hit balls in play against the four-seamer.
Right fielder Henry Bolte and left fielder Zack Gelof hit consecutive home runs off the pitch in the third inning. Bolte hit another off it in the fourth. Robby Ahlstrom replaced Bradford to start the fifth, as detailed in DSJ’s report on the outing.
In 2024, the last season Bradford finished healthy, he threw the four-seamer at 89 to 90 mph and located it well enough to make it his primary pitch. He worked 76 1/3 innings that year with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP.
How Cody Bradford Plans To Fix It
Bradford sees two ways to approach the problem, and he has picked the one he considers more reachable. He has been working on it in bullpen sessions.
“You can chase the movement and try and change the movement,” Bradford explained. “That’s going to be harder to chase than just command. The command for me is the lowest-hanging fruit. It’s something that I’ve been working on in bullpens, aiming for what I’d call below the glove, or what I want to hit right now.”
Bradford is 28 and is 0-4 this season. He has not pitched a full major league season since 2024.
Texas stays home Thursday to open a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Cal Quantrill starts. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
