Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Bradford throws to the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez/AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
ARLINGTON — If command is your calling card, and if it's such a strong trait that it's gotten you to the big leagues, then what happens when the ball doesn't move the way it always has? Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Cody Bradford would like to know. "Pretty much for my whole life, if I set my eyes down and away, and throw my fastball down and away, it pretty much ends up right there," Bradford said. "It's not the case right now." Bradford was tagged for five runs — each of which was scored via a home run — in a 9-2 loss vs. the Athletics at Globe Life Field on Wednesday afternoon as he continues to battle his four-seam fastball command after elbow surgery. He allowed three home runs on his fastball over the heart of the plate or up in the strike zone in his sixth start since he returned from elbow surgery and cost his team a chance at a sweep. The 28-year-old allowed consecutive home runs on his fastball to right fielder Henry Bolte and left fielder Zack Gelof in the third inning. He allowed another solo home run to Bolte in the fourth inning, also on his fastball, and was replaced by left-handed pitcher Robby Ahlstrom to start the fifth. Hitters slashed .362/.297/.466 against Bradford's four-seam fastball in his first five starts this season and registered six hard hits against it in Wednesday's game. In 2024, his last healthy season, hitters slashed just .185/.344/.255 against it in a far larger sample size because of his ability to pinpoint the location of his 89-90 mph heaters. Bradford said that his fastball currently "has a little cut ride" and lands "a little higher" than it did in previous seasons despite a similar process. He noticed it during his rehabilitation process, and although it's not uncommon for pitchers to need a readjustment period after serious elbow surgery, he has two theories on how to address the issue. "You can chase the movement and try and change the movement," Bradford said. "That's going to be harder to chase than just command. The command for me is the lowest-hanging fruit. It's something that I've been working on in bullpens, aiming for what I'd call below the glove, or what I want to hit right now." Subscribe Sign up for the Morning Roundup, a free newsletter delivering the latest North Texas news each morning. This article originally published at Rangers' Cody Bradford still searching for pinpoint command that got him to big leagues.