A matchup of two young pitchers, Rhett Lowder and Kumar Rocker, highlights the second game of this weekend series in Arlington between the Cincinnati Reds (4-3) and Texas Rangers (4-3). First pitch happens at 7:05 PM EDT from Globe Life Field.
Lineups
Starting Pitchers
Rhett Lowder
In his first start of the season last Sunday against Boston, Lowder continued his success from spring training this year. He pitched five innings at GABP, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He made only one bad mistake, allowing a two-run home run to Wilyer Abreu. Being a right-handed pitcher, Lowder has some reverse splits going on in his short career, pitching better against lefties. However, he has also walked more lefty batters and allowed the first home run in his major league career to a lefty in Abreu.
In 2024, Lowder mostly used his slider and four-seam fastball, followed closely by his two-seam fastball. His first start of 2026 was similar; however, he did use his two-seamer more and his change up less than he did in 2024. His velocity Sunday was up just a tick but not by much. Against the Red Sox, he had a 40% whiff rate on his slider in 24 pitches. Unfortunately, that was also the pitch he left up in the zone that Abreu crushed to the seats.
Splits (career)
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 77 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4% | 17% | .243 | .273 | .257 |
| LHH | 71 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18% | 20% | .172 | .324 | .241 |
Pitch Usage (2024)
| Slider | 4-Seam | 2-Seam | Change | |
| Velo | 85.0 | 93.5 | 92.3 | 86.2 |
| Usage | 27.3% | 27.3% | 25.9% | 19.5% |
Kumar Rocker
Right-hander Kumar Rocker will be making his season debut for the Rangers this evening. Rocker initially won the fifth spot in the Rangers rotation, but when Jacon deGrom missed his first start, the Rangers called upon Jacob Latz to be a spot starter. This forced Rocker to the bullpen for a couple days; however, the Rangers did not need to use him in that role, so tonight will be Rocker’s first start of the season and first start since July 31, 2025. While he was shut down from pitching in games, Rocker spent the next seven months making some changes to his mechanics. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News had a good article that talks about what Rocker did to hopefully improve his pitching mechanics.
Rocker has made one start against the Reds, and it didn’t go great for him. He allowed six runs on seven hits through three innings at GABP, in an eventual 14-3 rout for Cincinnati on March 31, 2025. Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain both took him deep that game. Left-handed hitters were significantly better against him last year, so look for the lefties in the Reds lineup to make some noise tonight.
Splits (2025)
| Split | PA | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| RHH | 129 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6% | 24% | .229 | .289 | .424 |
| LHH | 158 | 44 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 9% | 16% | .319 | .386 | .522 |
Pitching Usage (2025)
| 2-Seam | Cutter | 4-Seam | Slider | Curve | Change | |
| Velo | 95.6 | 90.1 | 95.8 | 84.2 | 77.5 | 89.5 |
| Usage | 26.0% | 25.4% | 20.2% | 16.0% | 6.3% | 6.1% |
When and Where:
- Time: 7:05 PM EDT
- Place: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
- TV: Reds MLB channel (cable providers), Reds.tv (in market), MLB.tv (out of market)
- Radio: 700 WLW (Cincinnati area)
- Forecast: Doesn’t matter – there is a retractable roof
News and Notes
Lowder and Burns in the Spotlight
Minor League Recap
Division Standings
| Team | W | L | GB | Fangraph’s Playoff Odds |
| Milwaukee | 5 | 1 | – | 54.6% |
| Cincinnati | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 18.5% |
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 50.7% |
| St. Louis | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 8.5% |
| Chicago | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 45.9% |