DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The future of the Texas Rangers starting rotation may have just taken a big set back this week, with former 2022 No. 3 overall pick Kumar Rocker reportedly undergoing Tommy John surgery later this week.
Rocker was pitching for the Texas Rangers High-A affiliate Hickory Crawdads, where he was 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six games. He had pitched 28 innnings and had 42 strike outs.
Standing 6-5, 245 pounds, was selected with the 10th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Mets, who never ultimately offered him a contact over their concerns with the durability of his right throwing shoulder.
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After failing to sign with the Mets, Rocker signed with the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Frontier League and re-entered the draft. In five starts with the Cats, Rocker was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched.
Tommy John will likely keep Rocker off of the mound for 6-7 months, forcing him to miss valuable time in his development.