Kumar Rocker, the Rangers’ No. 1 pick in the July draft, will make his professional debut in the Arizona Fall League, pitching for the Surprise Saguaros as...
: Outfielder Aaron Zavala, the leading candidate to be the organization’s minor league player of the year, and infielder Luisangel Acuña.
Also participating are INF-OF Jayce Easley, C Cody Freeman, OF-DH Trevor Hauver, RHP Nick Star and LHPs Grant Wolfram and Jake Latz. Rocker went to Arizona to join other pitching draft picks in a throwing program in early August. He has not pitched in a game for the organization, though he did make five starts during the spring for the independent Tri-City Valley Cats as he rebuilt his draft stock following 2021 surgery.
Zavala, 22, has slashed .283/.428/.462/.889 at Class A Hickory and Double-A Frisco in 109 games in his first professional season after being the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2021. Acuña, 20, is the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña. He has put together a .282/.373/.434/.807 with 40 steals at Hickory and Frisco.Double-A Frisco clinched a spot in the Texas League playoffs with an 11-6 win over Northwest Arkansas to claim the Southern Division’s second half title. ... RHP Joe Barlow will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday in hopes of returning to the roster before the end of the season.