SEATTLE — Before Cody Bradford took the mound Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Park, Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the setbacks in the left-hander’s rehab from elbow surgery have made the comeback harder, in comments reported by MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry. Bradford then allowed 3 runs over 4 innings in a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners and fell to 0-5.
“He’s coming off surgery, and it’s been almost two years, so he’s going to have peaks and valleys,” Schumaker said. “It’s not easy coming off Tommy John and then having setbacks. … But I feel like there are times where he’s not completely back to where he wants to be.”
“With what he’s doing right now, I’ll take my chance with Cody, just because of how much he prepares and how he knows his pitchability,” Schumaker continued. “All that stuff is real. But there’s going to be some times where just because of Tommy John, you don’t have the pitch execution that you’re used to having.”
Bradford had internal brace surgery on his left elbow in June 2025 and missed that season. His first Triple-A rehab start came April 2, and a three-week shutdown for elbow tightness followed. He made four minor league rehab starts in July before Texas reinstated him from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 5. That day’s start against the San Francisco Giants was his first major league appearance since Sept. 25, 2024.
Skip Schumaker’s Plan For Cody Bradford Against Left-Handed Hitters
Bradford entered the start 0-4 with a 4.45 ERA, and opponents were batting .331 against him. On the pregame show on Rangers Sports Network, Schumaker said he wanted to see Bradford use his changeup more against left-handed hitters.
“He’s actually been reversed his whole career,” Schumaker explained. “So it’s not just this year. And I think the changeup has always been super effective against righties. Can we increase the usage maybe against lefties? Getting in and out and not just kind of living in one spot as well against the lefties.”
“But I think you’ve got to move their eyes,” Schumaker continued. “And that’s always the hitter’s timing is you’re trying to disrupt it and you’re trying to change eye levels. And I think that’s the one thing that we’ve got to continue to encourage, especially against lefties.”
Bradford retired J.P. Crawford, Randy Arozarena, and Dominic Canzone in order on 9 pitches in the first inning. Crawford and Canzone hit left-handed.
Cody Bradford Falls To 0-5 After Seattle’s Two-Out Runs
Cal Raleigh drew a leadoff walk in the second, and Taylor Ward tied the game with a two-out single to center. In the fourth, after Bradford got two outs, Josh Naylor singled and Ward walked. Cole Young doubled off the wall in right field, and both runners scored when the ball got past Brandon Nimmo.
Bradford’s four-seamer typically tops out around 90 mph, and Landry reported that his fastball command declined as Wednesday’s outing went on. He worked 4 innings on 63 pitches and gave up 4 hits and 3 earned runs, walked 2, and struck out 1. His ERA rose to 4.72 over 34 1/3 innings, and Texas has lost his last six starts.
Tyler Alexander, Trevor Williams, and Robby Ahlstrom followed with 4 scoreless innings. Jacob deGrom (10-9, 3.96 ERA) starts Thursday’s series finale at 3:10 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network. The Rangers open a three-game series at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
