Kumar Rocker, the Texas Rangers‘ No. 6 prospect overall is expected to have season-ending Tommy John surgery. The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon and was first reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Rangers general manager Chris Young said this was an “acute” injury suffered on the mound. It is completely different from anything the Rangers had seen in exams. Young recognized there was risk with the pick; there is risk with all pitching.
So Close
Young also stated that Kumar Rocker was on the verge of a promotion. He said, “We got a glimpse of how good he is, and it confirmed everything we thought.” He will now be out of action for the rest of 2023 and at least part of 2024 as well. This gives him the typical 14 to 18 months required to rehab from Tommy John surgery. It’s an unfortunate setback for a pitcher who has already dealt with a few twists and turns on his road to the big leagues. He isn’t yet on the club’s 40-man roster and won’t even be Rule 5 eligible until after the 2025 season.
High Hopes for the Youngster
The 23-year-old right-hander has a higher profile than the typical High-A prospect. He was one of the most highly-touted youngsters going into the 2021 draft and was selected 10th overall by the New York Mets. Shortly after the draft, it was reported that he and the club were going to agree to a $6 million signing bonus, above the $4.7399 million slot value for the pick. However, the two sides were eventually unable to come to an agreement when the club reportedly grew concerned by something in Rocker’s right elbow. With this latest development, it appears that Rangers fans will have to continue to play the waiting game with Rocker. He has a long road ahead of him. With hard work, he can still make an impact for the Rangers at some point in the future.
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