Rangers vs Blue Jays Preview: Rocker Takes the Hill in Week 66

Texas just beat Toronto 7-4 yesterday and won their last two games. But injuries are hitting the Rangers hard. Wyatt Langford, who was crushing the ball with a massive .405 average lately, is dealing with a hamstring issue. Jack Leiter had surgery on his ankle and will miss significant time. The Rangers need their pitching to hold up because they're short on healthy arms. Kumar Rocker takes the mound today. He's a young pitcher still finding his way at the big-league level. The Rangers sit at 40-42 overall but they're fighting to stay in this series.

The Blue Jays are struggling. They've lost four straight games and are 39-43 on the season. Toronto's pitching staff has injury problems of its own. Shane Bieber is their starter today, but he's been rough this season with an 11.25 ERA. George Springer is heading to paternity leave soon. This gives Texas a real chance to keep winning games.

Corey Seager and Salvador Burger have been the Rangers' hitting stars this series. Yesterday, Seager smashed a home run 391 feet to right-center field. Burger collected two hits in the same game and drove in runs. These two hitters are keeping Texas in every game. The Rangers have dominated scoring so far in this series. They scored 6 runs on June 25, 5 runs on June 26, and 7 runs yesterday. Toronto's pitchers have struggled to shut down the Texas bats. The Blue Jays scored 5 runs on June 25 and 4 runs yesterday but can't keep pace. Today's pitching matchup matters huge for Toronto.

Shane Bieber is one of the toughest pitchers in baseball when he's healthy. He won the Cy Young Award back in 2020, proving he belongs at the top of any rotation. But his 2025 season has been rough. His ERA sits at 11.25, which tells you Toronto's defense and luck haven't helped him much. The Blue Jays are desperate to stop their four-game losing streak. They've got their backs against the wall in this series. Bieber needs to pitch strong today and eat up innings. If Toronto's hitters can jump on Kumar Rocker early, they still have time to fight back into this game.

Texas has the momentum. They've won two straight games and are hitting the ball all over the park. Toronto needs to respond today or this series gets away from them. Bieber has to be better than his season numbers suggest. The Blue Jays' lineup needs to wake up and score early runs. Langford's injury for Texas is a real problem, but Seager and Burger are playing hero baseball. If Kumar Rocker stays sharp, the Rangers could keep winning. This game determines whether Toronto fights back or falls deeper into trouble. One team walks out of Rogers Centre feeling great about their chances.

Kumar Rocker is young but he's learning fast in the big leagues. He made his debut last year and keeps working to improve. Today he'll face a Blue Jays team that's desperate but tired. Shane Bieber has stuff but his ERA shows he's been hit hard. The Rangers' defense and bats have carried them this series. Texas pitchers have been good enough to win games. If Rocker throws strikes and gets ahead in counts, he can shut down Toronto hitters. The Rangers' bullpen is banged up with several arms injured, but they've found ways to get outs. This pitching matchup favors Texas today. The team that throws fewer pitches to get batters out usually wins close games. Rangers baseball is exciting right now because nobody knows what they'll do next.

Here's what makes today special: Toronto is desperate. A fifth straight loss could crush their confidence for weeks. Texas smells blood in the water. They're not supposed to be winning this series given all their injuries. The Rangers have Seager and Burger playing like superstars. The Blue Jays have talent but they're sloppy right now. One mistake by a Toronto pitcher could cost them everything. One bad inning for Kumar Rocker could turn this game upside down. Baseball is beautiful because anything can happen. Toronto could explode with five runs in one inning. Texas could shut down all the bats Toronto throws at them. That's why 27,000 fans pack Rogers Centre on a Sunday.