May 26 : Colin Newell Jersey Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young today denied that Rocker is being considered for a closer role, per . Young said its po sible Rocker ends up pitching in relief due to various circumstances, though its not something the club is targeting. We see him as an MLB starter in the short- and long-term, Young said. Is there a way we need him in some capacity in the bullpen? Perhaps, but that is neither the focus nor the plan. Weve not talked about it. May 25 : Rangers bra s are contemplating trying hard-throwing youngster in the closer role when he returns from the injured list, according to a report from . Rocker is currently rehabbing from a right shoulder impingement thats kept him sidelined over the past month, but is already on a rehab a signment and expected to be ready to return in the near future. Moving a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport to the bullpen despite him having started all eight games of his major league career to this point would be something of a bold move, but its also an understandable one to consider for a team badly in need of a spark. The Rangers currently sport a 26-28 record that leaves them on the outside looking in of the AL playoff picture. Much of those struggles have been down to an anemic offense that has struggled to generate runs despite having big name players like , , , and up and down the lineup. Perhaps the team that entered play today tied for the third-fewest runs scored in the majors could put themselves in a better position to succeed if their pitching was top-notch; after all, the Rangers are tied with the Royals in terms of runs scored, and Kansas City is currently clinging to the final AL Wild Card spot with a 29-25 record thanks in large part to a team ERA of 3.07, second in baseball behind only the Mets. The Rangers are no slouches when it comes to pitching, themselves, as their team ERA of 3.38 is good for sixth in the majors. Notably, however, much of that prowe s has come from a starting rotation that has featured standout performances from veterans , , and . Rocker has not been part of that succe s, as even when healthy hes pitched to a lackluster 8.10 ERA in five starts this year despite solid peripherals. The bullpen, on the other hand, is a place where Rocker may be able to make an impact. The Rangers have dealt with a middling bullpen for years, and despite overhauling the unit this offseason that remains the case as theyve pitched to a 4.20 ERA thats good for just 19th in the majors. Adding an electric arm like that of Rocker to the mix could help the Rangers hold onto leads late in games, especially with veteran relief ace currently on the shelf due to shoulder fatigue without a clear timeline for his return to action. If Rocker can dominate out of the bullpen by pitching at max-effort and not worrying about trying to go multiple innings, then its po sible that he could get acclimated to the majors more effectively as a reliever and help the Rangers where theyre most in need of a jolt on the pitching side of things. While starting a top pitching prospects career in the bullpen is unusual, its hardly unprecedented. stands as perhaps the most notable example of an ace hurler who began in the major league bullpen before converting back to the rotation later on, but , , and Texass own are among a handful of other notable names. Hurlers have even begun converting from relief to rotation roles later in their career in recent years, with and standing out as notable examples from the past few seasons. Of course, this strategy would still come with some risk. Theres no guarantee that Rocker would immediately take to a role change, and even if he did the Rangers would effectively be hollowing out some of their rotation depth by not letting Rocker stay stretched out and using him in shorter bursts. Jack Pope Jersey