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Kumar Rocker will make major league debut for Texas Rangers against Seattle

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Kumar Rocker will make major league debut for Texas Rangers against Seattle


Consider the door busted down.

In fashion of which his defensive lineman of a dad would be proud, Texas Rangers pitching prospect Kumar Rocker has pancaked the opposition and has earned a promotion to the big leagues after two months of dominating minor league hitters. Rocker, the Rangers announced Monday, will be added to the 40-man roster and make his MLB debut against Seattle Thursday at T-Mobile Park.

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In seven starts at Double-A and Triple-A after 14 months of elbow surgery recovery, Rocker has compiled a 0.91 ERA in 29⅔ innings while allowing hitters a .128/.160/.216/.376 slash line. He has struck out 47 hitters and walked just three. He made his most recent start on Friday for Round Rock against Las Vegas, going five innings and allowing two runs on three hits. His fastball has averaged 98.7 mph and his hard curveball has been unhittable.

Rocker, 24, has dominated opponents unlike any Rangers prospect of recent vintage, perhaps more dominant than any pitching prospect in baseball in some time. His numbers post elbow surgery compare favorably even to Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, last year’s overall No. 1 pick, who reached the big leagues after just seven starts this season. In those starts, Skenes’ the overwhelming favorite for NL Rookie of the Year, compiled a 0.99 ERA in 27⅔ innings while allowing opponents a .175/.238/.247/.486 slash line. Skenes had 45 strikeouts to eight walks before the Pirates called him up in May.

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Kumar Rocker’s parents, heritage & trials shaped Bunyanesque pitcher into pitching phenom

Rocker was the third pick overall in the 2022 draft, a year after he was picked 10th by the Mets. He failed his physical with New York, elected not to sign and re-entered the draft. He was considered a surprise when taken at No. 3, but signed a deal at below the recommended slot. He made six starts in 2023 before his elbow gave out, requiring surgery.

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Pentagon releases UFO files with Texas sightings going back to 1948

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Pentagon releases UFO files with Texas sightings going back to 1948


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Ever look up at the vast Texas sky and see something move across it? It could be a shooting star, a satellite — or a UFO.

The Pentagon released several documents Friday, May 8, detailing sightings of unidentified flying objects, or “bogeys,” in U.S. airspace, including reports from Texas.

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The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Defense at the directive of President Donald Trump, marking the release of government files related to “alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” and UFOs.

“These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in a statement.

Here’s a look at the files related to Texas.

UFO spotted in 1948 above Abilene, Texas

A DoD incident summary shows that on Jan. 1, 1948, a man identified as “Mr. A. Schroeder” reported a UFO in the 1100 block of Highland Ave in Abilene, Texas.

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Schroeder reported seeing a stationary bright blue-green bell-shaped object in the western sky above Abilene at 1:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.

Fort Worth man sees UFO above Alaska

Also in 1948, Lt. Aytch Johnson noticed a silver flat disk in the sky in Fairbanks, Alaska.

According to the incident report, the Fort Worth man observed the object flying over Alaska at around 1:06 p.m. on April 18, 1948, at an estimated speed of 250 to 300 miles per hour.

The report also noted that the sighting “may have been the reflection of sun from wings” of aircrafts flying in the area at the time.

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Possible UFO sighting during the NASA Gemini 7 space launch

The DoD released the transcript and audio file of NASA’s Gemini 7 mission in 1965 when astronaut Frank Borman reported to NASA mission control in Houston his sighting of an unidentified object, which he referred to as a “bogey.” 

While the launch didn’t take place in Texas, the report came back to space control in Houston.

The conversation occurred on Dec. 5, 1965 — 4 hours and 24 minutes into the flight — when Borman notified space control that there was a “bogey” on their left-hand side.

When asked to clarify what they are seeing, Borman said he was seeing “hundreds of little particles” on their left, about three to four miles away.

As NASA Public Affairs clarified, the bogey was an unidentified object, along with the particles.

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Pentagon documents report of other possible sightings in Texas

Some documents have connections or reports of possible UFO sightings in Texas, but are missing details to understand the situation.

For example, the DoD received a clipping from the Yoakum Times-Record reporting UFO sightings by Mrs. Anna Banys in 1947, but it is unclear why she was writing to the DoD.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.



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AMBER Alert girl last seen in Texas after Louisiana abduction

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AMBER Alert girl last seen in Texas after Louisiana abduction


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An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl abducted from Louisiana who was last seen in North Texas.

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Merlin Chirinos-Argueta was last seen around 7:10 p.m. May 7 in Allen, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say the teen was abducted from Keithville, Louisiana, and may be traveling in Texas

Chirinos-Argueta is described as a 13-year-old Hispanic girl with black hair and brown eyes. She is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, officials said.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said Merlin was reported missing Thursday. May 7 from the 6200 block of Bain Boulevard in Keithville. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. said investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen.

Investigators believe she may be with 18-year-old Daniel Vasquez Mejia, who has black hair and brown eyes.

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Merlin has not been in contact with her family, which has raised concerns for her safety and well-being, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities say they may be traveling in a white Chevrolet SUV with Texas license plate VML6061. The vehicle is believed to have a skull sticker on the rear driver’s side back window and a “mojo” sticker on the passenger side rear window.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or contact the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.



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Texas officials monitoring two residents who were on board ship with hantavirus outbreak

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Texas officials monitoring two residents who were on board ship with hantavirus outbreak


AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) that two Texas residents were passengers on the MV Hondius, a ship that experienced an outbreak of hantavirus while traveling in the Atlantic Ocean. The passengers left the ship and returned to the United States before the outbreak was identified.

“Public health workers in Texas have reached the two individuals, and they report they are not experiencing any symptoms and did not have any contact with a sick person while aboard the ship. They have agreed to monitor themselves for symptoms with daily temperature checks and contact public health officials at any sign of a possible illness,” the agency said on Thursday in a statement.

DSHS will not release additional personal details about the passengers to protect their privacy.

“This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization. “Most people will never be exposed to this.”

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More than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing nearly two weeks after the first passenger died on board.

Health authorities on at least four continents are now tracking down and in some cases monitoring the cruise passengers who disembarked on April 24, and trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them since then.

That includes two people in Georgia who are also being monitored, according to our affiliate WTOC.

Hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with wild rodent droppings or urine. The strain in the Hondius outbreak, Andes virus, can spread from person to person in limited circumstances. It typically requires close, prolonged contact with a person who is actively sick with the disease.

It is not known to spread through casual contact such as shaking hands or being in the same room for a few minutes. There have been no documented cases where a person without symptoms spread it to someone else.

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