Round Rock RHP Kumar Rocker Promoted to Texas

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Welcome to The Show, Kumar! The Texas Rangers announced that the club selected the contract of Round Rock Express RHP Kumar Rocker on Thursday afternoon. Rocker is set to start tonight against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park at 8:40 p.m. CT.

Rocker made two starts for the Express and allowed only one earned run over 10.0 innings of work with one walk and 18 strikeouts. He went 5.0 innings in each of his starts and allowed only four hits between the two outings. Rocker was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for August 26-September 1 after his first Triple-A start.

He made his Triple-A debut on August 28 against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Dell Diamond and faced Dodgers rehabber RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Rocker went 5.0 innings of scoreless baseball and struck out 10 while allowing only one hit. He worked through the Oklahoma City lineup on 67 pitches.

In his second start against the Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics affiliate) on September 6 at Las Vegas Ballpark, Rocker went 5.0 innings with two earned runs on three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in a no-decision.

The former third overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers was drafted out of Vanderbilt University. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 College World Series for Vanderbilt. In 2021, he was a unanimous First Team All-American in his junior season where he became just the second player since 1988 to lead the nation in both strikeouts and wins in the same season.

Rocker began his professional career with High-A Hickory last year, but after six starts, underwent Tommy John surgery. He returned this season on July 5 and made three starts in the Arizona Complex League before joining Double-A Frisco. With the RoughRiders, he made five starts and posted a 0.46 ERA (1 ER/19.2 IP) before his promotion to Triple-A.

Round Rock and Sacramento are back at Dell Diamond for game three on Thursday night. Express RHP Ryan Garcia (2-2, 2.76) is slated to make the start up against River Cats RHP Carson Seymour (6-10, 4.85). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!