The Texas Rangers optioned Kumar Rocker to Triple-A Round Rock, creating space for reliever Chris Martin after his return from the injured list. Rocker, who had a challenging start to the season with high earned runs and low strikeout rates, had a rough outing, giving up five runs in under four innings. He made a crucial mental error in the game, failing to cover first base, which contributed significantly to the loss. Despite the struggles, GM Chris Young stated that the demotion was aimed at aiding Rocker's development, not punishment.
"The biggest (mistake) is the fundamental of covering first base. The fundamentals got us tonight. That's a basic play. It could have saved us two runs."
"He just forgot the situation and the other man on third and it compounded the damage. And that's the difference in the ball game."
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