ARLINGTON — Expectations are out. Goals are in.
That’s how Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford — whose return from elbow surgery has been stalled — has chosen to view his predicament.
Bradford initially expected to return from an internal brace procedure at the start of May, but because elbow tightness led to now a nearly three-week shutdown, he shifted his mindset to a goal-oriented approach. He hopes to throw plyo balls early next week as part of his ramp-up, and if he can proceed setback-free, a mid-to-late June return to the major leagues is possible.
The 28-year-old acknowledged that his original timeline was ambitious, and even though team physician Dr. Keith Meister and the club’s medical staff warned that setbacks were possible over the course of rehab, he took the news of his latest shutdown hard.
“The date that I had thrown out there was the quickest that Meister would’ve even allowed me to be back,” Bradford said before Saturday’s game against the Athletics at Globe Life Field. “He has said multiple times since then, and in the last couple of weeks, ‘elbow surgery can take 10 months on the quick end, or it can take a lot longer than that, but you’re still early in the process, you need to take your time, make sure we do this the right way, and don’t rush it.’”
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery threw another bullpen Saturday, and per manager Skip Schumaker, will throw at least one more before he’s cleared to face hitters. Right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler, a Rule 5 draftee on the 15-day injured list with an intercostal strain, threw an inning at Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday and touched 97 mph with his fastball. The Rangers want him to pitch on back-to-back days before he returns.