Cody Bradford injury update: Texas Rangers put young flamethrower on IL due to back soreness

Reigning World Series champions Texas Rangers are having a rough patch with recent injuries in the roster.

Jared Sandler, a broadcaster for Texas, shared the update and more on X/Twitter:

“Cody Bradford is hitting the IL with back soreness. Cole Winn has been activated for today's game to provide support out of the bullpen. Michael Lorenzen is going to start tomorrow in Detroit.”

Sandler shared in another tweet the soreness is not a big concern, but the team doesn’t want to rush the process. In the best-case scenario, Bradford could return to the lineup as soon as his 15-day break is over.

Bradford led the team’s rotation with a 1.40 ERA in 19.1 innings during his three starts, all resulting in victory for Texas.

The Texas Rangers are going through a concerning phrase

The Texas Rangers lead the American League’s West Division with eight wins out of 15 matchups. However, the Los Angeles Angels are just a single win away from tying them as division toppers and can pass them with a few upcoming games.

The Rangers were off to a good start by winning a series against the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. However, their performance started declining after facing the Houston Astros for the first time since last year’s ALCS.

So far, they’ve faced the Astros six times with both teams winning three games each. Their Sunday face-off will determine who’ll lead until the next meetup. Texas lost a surprise series to the Oakland A’s.

However, the situation is worsening for the reigning World Series champions as they have suffered several injuries in recent weeks, forcing them to alter plans in mid-season. Brock Burke was placed on IL due to his fractured hand yesterday, joining reliever Josh Sborz, who suffered from a strained shoulder.

The Rangers are also waiting for infielders Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung, who suffered injuries last month and are in rehab. Nonetheless, the team should focus on winning games to stay at the top.