Returning from left elbow surgery, Cody Bradford seeks silver linings in efficiency and execution despite a winless streak as the Texas Rangers lean on his preparation through a difficult recovery.
Cody Bradford is still searching for his first victory since returning from major left elbow surgery, but the Texas Rangers left-hander is trying to measure his progress differently.
Bradford fell to 0-5 Wednesday afternoon when the Seattle Mariners defeated Texas 3-2 at T-Mobile Park.
Bradford allowed three runs on four hits with a strikeout and two walks in four innings on 63 pitches to get the loss.
All three runs scored with two outs.
After the game, Bradford told Kennedi Landry from MLB.com that he is trying to focus on small victories rather than being overly critical of himself from start to start.
He pointed specifically to his efficiency the first time through Seattle’s lineup, outside of a walk to Cal Raleigh, and felt the Rangers executed their game plan well.
“I try not to beat myself up week to week because I’m pretty hard on myself, and in the past that hasn’t been so great,” Bradford said.
“I’m trying to take small wins. The first time through the lineup was pretty efficient outside of the [Cal] Raleigh walk. I liked our game plan, and we executed well. So just trying to build off of that for the next going up.”
Bradford retired J.P. Crawford, Randy Arozarena and Dominic Canzone in order on nine pitches in the first inning. Crawford and Canzone are left-handed hitters.
Raleigh opened the second with a walk and eventually scored the tying run. He advanced to second after catcher Elías Díaz made a diving catch against the brick wall behind home plate on Josh Naylor’s foul pop.
Taylor Ward followed with a two-out single to center.
Bradford recorded the first two outs of the fourth before Naylor singled and Ward walked. Cole Young then doubled off the right-field wall.
Both runners scored when the ball got past Brandon Nimmo, giving Seattle a 3-1 lead.
Tyler Alexander replaced Bradford in the fifth.
Texas did not score again until Corey Seager homered off Gabe Speier to lead off the eighth.
A rocky road back
Bradford entered Wednesday 0-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 30.1 innings over six starts. He is now 0-5 with a 4.72 ERA in 34.1 innings across seven starts.
Before the game, Rangers manager Skip Schumaker explained that Bradford’s preparation and understanding of how to pitch are reasons Texas continues trusting him.
Schumaker also acknowledged that returning from Tommy John can lead to periods when a pitcher does not execute pitches as consistently as he previously did.
“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 said.
“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 has surrendered 45 hits and allowed 18 earned runs with 17 strikeouts and nine walks in his 34.1 innings of work.
Texas is 1-6 in his seven starts and has lost the last six. Bradford has received two runs of support or fewer in six consecutive starts.
Bradford underwent internal brace surgery on his left elbow in June 2025 and missed that season.
He was shut down for three weeks with elbow tightness after his first Triple-A rehab start on April 2 before Texas reinstated him from the 60-day Injured List Aug. 5.
His start that day against the San Francisco Giants was his first MLB appearance since Sept. 25, 2024 against the Athletics.
Bradford’s last MLB victory came Sept. 18, 2024, when he held the Toronto Blue Jays scoreless over seven innings at Globe Life Field.
He went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 76.1 innings over 14 appearances (13 starts) that season.
Bradford was also 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 0.52 WHIP in 7.2 innings across five relief appearances during the Rangers’ 2023 postseason run that produced the franchise’s only World Series.
The Aledo native was selected by Texas in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.
Bradford’s preparation
Bradford understands sequencing, studies opposing hitters and relies on location and changing speeds rather than overwhelming hitters with pure velocity.
That approach requires precision, particularly when working through a lineup multiple times.
His willingness to identify smaller improvements is also important after such a lengthy rehabilitation.
Returning from elbow surgery involves rebuilding more than arm strength. Command, confidence and trust in each pitch must also return.
Texas, in the middle of a close postseason race, needs that from him quickly.
The Rangers are three games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the last American League Wild Card spot with 15 games remaining.
