Bradford allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four over four innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Sunday.
Bradford gave up a two-run home run to Lawrence Butler in the second inning. While the hit total against Bradford was a little high, he was able to raise his pitch count to 81 (58 strikes) as he continues to build up from a long-term elbow injury that kept him out of action in 2025. He's posted a 2.93 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB through 15.1 innings over three starts this year. He is projected to make his next start at home versus the Angels, though it's unclear who between Bradford, Kumar Rocker and Cal Quantrill will stick around in the rotation when Jack Leiter (ankle) is ready to come off the 60-day injured list.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Tosses seven innings in loss
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Bradford (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Angels, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one over seven innings.
Bradford didn't need much of a workload buildup Tuesday, as he efficiently completed seven innings on just 75 pitches (49 strikes), including eight at-bats that lasted just one pitch. All three runs against him came in the third inning on three hits and a hit batter, but he settled in from there to retire 12 of the final 13 hitters he faced. It was only Bradford's second start of the season after being activated from the injured list Aug. 5 following an elbow injury that sidelined him for all of 2025. He's scheduled to face Washington at home in his next start, presenting a significant challenge against one of MLB's most productive lineups.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Blanks Giants in return to rotation
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Bradford didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Giants, allowing five hits and two walks over 4.1 scoreless innings. He struck out five.
After missing the entire 2025 season while recovering from an elbow injury that required an internal brace procedure that June, Bradford was brought along slowly after some renewed soreness in April and finally began ramping back up in July before being activated from the IL on Wednesday. He looked sharp in his season debut, albeit against a vulnerable opponent, and tossed 50 of 70 pitches for strikes before being lifted. The Rangers will also get Jordan Montgomery (elbow) back later this month, and Jack Leiter (ankle) could return in September, but Bradford made a strong early case to stick in the rotation. He'll look to get stretched out enough to pick up his first MLB win since Sept. 18, 2024 in his next outing, which is set to come on the road early next week against the Angels.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Hits three innings in rehab start
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Bradford (elbow) struck out four and allowed three hits and no walks across three innings in a rehab start Friday with Double-A Frisco.
Since resuming his rehab assignment July 12, Bradford has now tacked on an inning to his workload in his subsequent two starts. Overall, the southpaw has yielded one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine across six innings. He built up to 48 pitches (39 strikes) in Friday's outing, so Bradford will likely need to push his pitch count up to the 70-to-80 range over the course of two more rehab starts before coming back from the 60-day injured list and slotting into the Texas rotation. Bradford has been on the shelf all season while recovering from the internal brace surgery he underwent last June and a setback that cropped up during his initial rehab assignment back in April.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Better in second rehab outing
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Bradford (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out four over two scoreless innings for Double-A Frisco on Saturday.
Bradford was sharper in his second rehab start for the RoughRiders, upping his pitch count to 37 (27 strikes). The left-hander still has time left on his 30-day rehab assignment to make at least three more starts and build up to five or six innings.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Inefficient in rehab start
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Bradford (elbow) struck out a batter and allowed one run on no hits and two walks in a one-inning rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Sunday.
Bradford made his first appearance since April 2, as he was previously pulled off a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock after one start when he experienced a setback in his recovery from his June 2025 internal brace procedure. The southpaw needed 21 pitches to record his three outs and threw just seven strikes, with the lack of control not especially surprising coming off a lengthy layoff from game action. The Rangers are expected to allow Bradford to get stretched out for a starting role during his rehab assignment, but he'll need to improve his efficiency as he builds up his innings volume in his subsequent minor-league outings in order to stake a claim to a spot in the big-league rotation once his 30-day rehab window comes to a close.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Resuming rehab assignment
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Bradford (elbow) will resume his rehab assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Coming back from an internal brace procedure, Bradford threw two innings in one rehab outing back in early April but had to be pulled off that assignment after a setback. The left-hander is ready to give it another try and is slated to pitch one inning for Corpus Christi this weekend. Assuming the Rangers still intend to bring Bradford back as a starting pitcher, he will need several weeks to rebuild his stamina.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Throwing again
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Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports
Bradford made one rehab start early in April but was shut down soon after. Now that he's throwing again, the Rangers are estimating he could return by late June.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Moved to 60-day IL
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The Rangers transferred Bradford (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Bradford has been working his way back from an internal brace procedure and made his first rehab start April 3, but his second outing has since been delayed, and his move to the 60-day IL suggests he isn't close to returning. He'll remain sidelined until at least late May, and he'll give up his place on the 40-man roster to help make room for the promotions of Cal Quantrill and Gavin Collyer.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Makes first rehab start
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Bradford (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits over two innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. He didn't record a walk or a strikeout.
Bradford pitched in a game for the first time since undergoing an internal brace procedure last June. He allowed a pair of home runs and threw 27 pitches (17 strikes) during the outing. The left-hander is expected to make several starts in the minors before the Rangers make a decision on whether there's a spot for him on the big-league staff.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Starting rehab assignment
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Bradford (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
It will be Bradford's first official game action since he underwent an internal brace procedure on his left elbow last June. The left-hander will need most, if not all, of the allotted 30 days on his rehab assignment, but if all goes well he could be ready to pitch for the Rangers around the start of May. Whether the Rangers use Bradford as a starter or reliever upon his activation could depend on what the team's needs are at the time.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Rehab assignment by Opening Day
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Bradford (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment around Opening Day, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young indicated that May is the target for the left-hander's return.
Bradford, who recently threw a bullpen session, missed all of 2025 after sustaining an elbow injury during spring training that required an internal brace procedure in June. He showed promise in 2024, posting a 3.54 ERA over 76.1 innings, but missed months due to back and rib injuries. Texas bolstered its rotation during the offseason with the acquisition of MacKenzie Gore from the Nationals and may not have a spot in the rotation for Bradford upon his return. Beyond the top three of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi (groin) and Gore, other candidates for the back end of the rotation include Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, Jacob Latz, Austin Gomber and Cal Quantrill .
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Full participant in spring training
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Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Friday that he expects Bradford (elbow) to be a full participant during spring training, but an exact timeline for the pitcher is undetermined, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bradford underwent an internal brace procedure in late June to repair the UCL in his left elbow. It's a less invasive surgery and comes with a shorter rehab than Tommy John, but it still seems highly unlikely Bradford will be ready for the start of next season. A clearer picture on the southpaw's timetable should be available during spring training.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Throws bullpen session
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Bradford (elbow) threw 22 pitches during Wednesday's bullpen session, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that Bradford looked good during his session, and the aim is for the southpaw to be stretched out to five innings by July 4. Bradford started the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a left elbow sprain in mid-March. He'll need to toss multiple bullpen sessions without setbacks before embarking on a rehab assignment, during which time the Rangers would have a better idea of a timeline for Bradford's return.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Set for bullpen session
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Bradford (elbow) will throw a bullpen session at Target Field on Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bradford has slowly been working his way back from a sprained UCL in his left elbow that has sidelined him since March 12, and he has been throwing bullpen sessions for nearly a month. The team has been taking a cautious approach with the left-hander's recovery, and it's possible that he is on the cusp of a minor-league rehab assignment. Bradford remains on track for a return at some point in July, with the All-Star break being a reasonable target date.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Close to facing hitters again
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Bradford (elbow) threw breaking balls during a May 31 bullpen session and is hopeful to resume facing hitters this week during the Rangers' road series in Minnesota, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bradford has thrown multiple bullpen sessions over the past month and has gradually increased the volume and intensity of those workouts while also incorporating more breaking pitches. The southpaw has been on the shelf all season with a left elbow sprain, but he noted after his May 31 side session that his "UCL is repaired back to normal." Assuming the Rangers plan to have Bradford get stretched back out as a starter whenever he's cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment, he may not be ready to return from the injured list until shortly before or after the All-Star break.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Throwing from 90 feet
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Bradford (elbow) threw from 90 feet on flat ground this week, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The left-hander will begin throwing breaking balls next week and believes he will be ready to throw off a mound within the next three weeks. That timeline suggests Bradford will not be back before the end of May, but he is making progress. The southpaw is on the 60-day injured list and working his way back from a left elbow sprain.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Goes on IL
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The Rangers placed Bradford (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Bradford has been diagnosed with a left elbow sprain since being scratched from a Cactus League start March 12, with manager Bruce Bochy relaying that the southpaw would be shut down from throwing for four weeks. Even if Bradford is cleared to begin a throwing program by mid-April, he'll likely need at least another month to get stretched back out and complete a rehab assignment. Any setback along the way would make him a candidate to move to the 60-day IL.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: No-throw for four weeks
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Manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that Bradford (elbow) will be shut down from throwing for four weeks, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Bochy's comments confirm that Bradford is not looking at a minimum-length stay on the injured list, as the left-hander will likely need significant time to build back up once his no-throw period is over. With Jon Gray (wrist) also slated to miss the beginning of the season, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker are both likely to join the Rangers' Opening Day rotation.
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Rangers' Cody Bradford: Continues strong spring
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Bradford allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three over three scoreless inning in Friday's spring start against the Cubs.
This was Bradford's second Cactus League start, and the left-hander upped his pitch count to 48 (34 strikes). Among those 48 pitches, 26 were the four-seam fastball, which induced eight called strikes or whiffs, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. "Extension helps a lot," the 27-year-old said of his fastball. "It's got a little bit of a hop. There's some vert to it. It's pretty efficient. And, probably, I'd say, command [makes a difference]." Bradford looks primed to push for a rotation spot; he's yet to allow a run over five innings this spring, striking out five and walking one.
