Rangers' Kumar Rocker ready for long-awaited season debut, faces Reds

Texas Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker will make his season debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

At long last.

Rocker's first game of 2026 wound up delayed until the team's eighth game of the season due to a combination of circumstances.

After winning the fifth starter's spot in the rotation during spring training, Rocker watched as Jacob Latz replaced Jacob deGrom for a spot start in the second game of the season after the latter was scratched due to an injured back. That took Latz out of the relief equation for a bit and kept Rocker relegated to the bullpen -- albeit not high on the pecking order. In addition, the right-hander's return to the starting rotation was only realized once the bullpen had all of its arms available.

"We've had so many balls in the air trying to figure things out. It was a wild first week, with pushing him back and then into the bullpen," Texas manager Skip Schumaker said of Rocker. "But he took it all in stride and was happy to have whatever the opportunity was. It was crazy stuff, but he was ready for it all. So, I finally got to tell him, ‘I'm excited to actually see you pitch.'"

And Rocker will be excited to do so, especially after he spent part of spring training making adjustments.

"We went through the process of what little tweaks we can make and it just slowly got there," Rocker said, per the Dallas Morning News. "It was a lot of communication, a lot of back and forth and looking at pictures until we got comfortable with where the ball is coming out."

Rocker, 26, posted a 4-5 record with a 5.74 ERA in 2025.

That season didn't start off well for Rocker, who was shelled in his lone career encounter against Cincinnati. He allowed six runs on seven hits -- including two homers -- in three innings of a 14-3 setback to the Reds on March 31, 2025.

Elly De La Cruz belted a three-run homer in that game for Cincinnati, and he also went deep in the Reds' 5-3 victory in the opener of the three-game series on Friday. De La Cruz has hit safely in four straight games overall.

Spencer Steer launched a two-run homer in the second inning and Tyler Stephenson did the same in the ninth as the Reds spoiled the Rangers' home opener.

Cincinnati manager Terry Francona praised Stephenson for extending his at-bat against veteran reliever Chris Martin with Steer on second base.

"What a good at-bat, because at worst he's trying to move the runner," Francona said. "Even when he got two strikes on him, he kept that approach. You've heard me say it a million times: You hit the ball that way with authority. But he deserved (the homer) because that was a really good effort."

As for Steer, he entered Friday's game hitting .059 and mired in a 1-for-17 funk before going 2-for-4 with two runs in the series opener.

Matt McLain had two hits on Friday after entering the game in an 0-for-12 rut.

Cincinnati right-hander Rhett Lowder (0-0, 3.60 ERA) will get the start on Saturday.

Lowder, 24, yielded two runs on three hits with five strikeouts in five innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. The Reds won 3-2.

He will be making his eighth career start overall and first against the Rangers.

--Field Level Media