ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker have both made the opening day roster with the Texas Rangers, and the recent first-round draft picks will fill the final two spots in the rotation.
The Rangers also said Tuesday that Evan Carter will begin this season in the minors with Triple-A Round Rock. An outfielder who made a dazzling debut late in 2023 before a standout postseason in the club's run to its first World Series championship, Carter had an injury-plagued 2024 and then hit .158 in 14 games this spring.
“I know I can help this team win. So take advantage of the opportunity to kind of have a stress-free environment to get back to what I know I can do,” Carter said after being informed of the team's decision.
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young still expects Carter to play a big part for the team this season.
“He just needs some reps. He missed a lot of time, swing’s not dialed in right now,” Young said. “(I) have full confidence he’s he’s going to get going here. And when he does, he’s going to be right back here.”
As for the young pitchers, Young said before the team’s final exhibition game that Leiter and Rocker had good flashes during spring training.
“I think the talent on both is obvious, and they’ve earned the right to be out here,” Young said.
Leiter was the second overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft, a year before his former Vanderbilt teammate Rocker was taken third overall by the Rangers. Both are still rookies after making their big league debuts last season, Rocker after Tommy John surgery in 2023.
“At Vandy that last year, I don’t think we ever could have imagined that this would be happening. ... Same team, same rotation, opening day roster. It’s awesome,” Leiter said.
“Means everything. I think we’ve just gotten closer as friends, as teammates, and just doing it side by side,” Rocker said. “This being the first year is going to be something special.”
Still, Young said the reactions by Leiter and Rocker when told they made the team were “more reserved than I expected. I think mainly because they expect this of themselves.”
Manager Bruce Bochy said Leiter, the son of former big leaguer Al, will pitch in the second game of the regular season Friday against Boston, but could follow an opener. Rocker, whose dad is defensive line coach for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, is set to start the first road game Monday at Cincinnati.
Texas had open rotation spots after right-hander Jon Gray broke his right wrist when he was struck by a line drive in a spring training game March 14, and left-hander Cody Bradford was shut down from throwing because of soreness in his elbow. Both will start the season on the injured list, while struggling Dane Dunning was sent back to the minor leagues.
Free agent left-hander Patrick Corbin signed a $1.1 million, one-year contract last week and threw a simulated game Monday. Young said Corbin is expected to the minors to make two starts while continuing to build up before joining the big league team around April 11.
After Carter’s call-up in September as an injury fill-in in 2023, making his big league debut 10 days after his 21st birthday, he hit .306 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 23 games to finish the regular season.
The left fielder then reached base in all 17 of the Rangers’ postseason games, hitting .300 with an MLB postseason record nine doubles. He also had 10 walks.
Carter was limited to 45 games because of back issues in what was supposed to be his first full big league season in 2024. He hit .188 with five homers and 15 RBIs.
“I’ve proven to myself and everybody else that I can do it, and I did it on the highest stage,” Carter said. “So I know that it’s in there, and I’ve just got to get right back to feeling confident.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
