How Kumar Rocker is balancing tweaks to his game and his path to the rotation this spring

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker needs to pitch well enough to win the fifth starter job this camp. He also has to address, tweak or add to specific areas of his game that the club would like to see while in the midst of a position competition.

The two goals don’t always exist in a state of congruency.

“I think you’ve got to just check the flow of the game,” Rocker said, “and go with the motion of it.”

The motion of his second Cactus League start produced a game that he described as “a good one to build off of.” Rocker allowed one run on five hits and a hit by pitch in 2 2/3 innings vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at Surprise Stadium Tuesday afternoon. He threw 27 of his 40 pitches for strikes and seven first-pitch strikes with a dosage of fastballs and sliders. He did not, however, opt to try out his camp project.

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The Rangers believe that an increase in Rocker’s changeup usage can benefit his mid-to-high 90s four-seam fastball. Rocker threw his changeup just 6.1% of the time last season and used it almost exclusively against left-handed hitters. He threw it twice in his Cactus League debut against the Chicago Cubs but didn’t throw it once Thursday vs. the Brewers.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday morning that Rocker’s ability to build off of his previous start was as important as any individual pitch usage. Rocker said that Milwaukee’s propensity for early-count swings (more than half of his at-bats lasted two pitches or less) dissuaded him from changeup usage.

“That’s what makes it challenging,” Schumaker said. “Guys are going to want to throw their best stuff that they’re most comfortable with because they’re trying to make a squad. It’s just a fine line. He’s still continuing to try and develop. He needs that pitch to be succesful. That’s why I don’t really care so much about the results. We all want to see that changeup.”

Rocker stranded a runner at third base to end the first inning. Brewers left fielder Eddys Leonard reached base to start the second inning on a groundball when third baseman Ezequiel Duran airmailed a throw over first baseman Jake Burger’s head. He took second base when Rocker’s attempted pickoff throw was low and out of Burger’s reach. Two pitches later, right fielder Luis Lara chopped Rocker’s fastball in between the pitcher’s mound and first base, then reached safely when Burger charged the ball and left the bag uncovered.

Lara was thrown out on a stolen base attempt by catcher Cooper Johnson. Rocker, whose delivery was quick to home plate with his pitch, pumped his fist when the second base umpire called Lara out.

“Coop made a great play there,” Rocker said. “That was a testy inning for many different reasons. I think it was a good one to build off of.”

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