Texas Rangers Prospect Kumar Rocker Facing Tommy John Surgery

The former Vanderbilt star made his minor league debut this season after being selected with the No. 3 pick in 2022.

Rangers pitching prospect Kumar Rocker, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2022 MLB draft, is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery later this week, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Rocker, 23, made his minor-league debut this year for the Rangers’ High A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads. In six starts, the right-hander posted a 3.86 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 28 innings.

Rocker was a college star at Vanderbilt, pitching three seasons for the Commodores and helping the program win its second College World Series championship as a freshman in 2019. He was named the event’s Most Outstanding Player that year, finishing his collegiate career with a 2.89 ERA and 321 strikeouts over 42 games.

Rocker initially entered the 2021 MLB draft, where he was taken with the No. 10 pick by the Mets. After reaching a contract agreement, he ultimately did not sign with the team after the Mets expressed concerns over his medical information. He spent the 2022 season pitching for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the independent Frontier League.