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Texas Rangers prospect Kumar Rocker will undergo Tommy John surgery for a torn ligament in the right elbow on his pitching arm, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.
The timing is particularly difficult, as Rangers general manager Chris Young said the 23-year-old was about to be promoted, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
“We got a glimpse of how good he is, and it confirmed everything we thought,” Young said.
The general manager added more context to the situation:
Evan Grant @Evan_P_Grant
Chris Young says this was an “acute” injury suffered on the mound, completely different from anything Rangers had seen in exams. Young recognized there was risk with pick; there is risk with all pitching https://t.co/TsuJxOIB3D
Rocker is the No. 100 overall prospect in the league and the No. 6 prospect for the Rangers, per MLB.com’s rankings. Despite his potential, health concerns have been a major storyline around his attempt to reach the sport’s highest stage.
In August 2021, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported the New York Mets elected not to sign the Vanderbilt product even after selecting him with the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. New York chose to pass on the opportunity to add him to the roster after reviewing his medical information.
It was only able to do so because Rocker did not participate in an MLB-sponsored program that shared pitchers’ medical information ahead of the draft. The Mets received the No. 11 overall pick in the following year’s draft as compensation for the situation, ultimately selecting catcher Kevin Parada.
Rocker returned to the draft in 2022, and the Rangers selected him with the No. 3 pick in a move that was generally considered a surprise.
The right-hander also underwent shoulder surgery in September 2021. Agent Scott Boras said it was “a minor scope,” per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, but it was still another health situation.
Rocker made six minor league starts for the Rangers organization prior to the latest injury, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 28 innings.
