Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will have elbow surgery after setback in rehab

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will have elbow surgery Wednesday after a setback during his rehab from a left elbow sprain that has kept him out all season.

Chris Young, the team's president of baseball operations, said Tuesday that Bradford felt something in his elbow when he resumed throwing after a recent flu bug. He then saw team physician Dr. Keith Meister, who will do the surgery.

The 27-year-old Bradford is 10-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 34 games (21 starts) for Texas the past two seasons. He was expected to be part of the starting rotation this season, but was shut down during spring training in mid-March because of elbow soreness.

As a rookie, Bradford was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in five relief appearances during the 2023 playoffs when the Rangers won their first World Series title. He pitched a scoreless inning in Game 1 and another in Game 4 against Arizona in the World Series.

Young said the team would have a better idea of a timeline for Bradford's recovery after the surgery is done, and that it would depend on the extent of the procedure.

“A tough blow for the team, but more importantly for Cody. He had worked extremely hard, looked great this spring,” Young said. “Obviously was going to be a big part of our season this year, and to lose him today is tough news. ... We look forward to helping Cody get back to full health and contributing in the future.”

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