Rangers' Brock Burke to Have Shoulder Surgery; Will Miss 2020 Season
Texas Rangers pitching prospect Brock Burke will have surgery on his throwing shoulder, the club announced Monday. Burke is expected to miss the entirety of the 2020 season.
The arthroscopic surgery will repair fraying and a partial tear of the labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery will be performed by team physician Keith Meister on Friday in Arlington. The prognosis is a 12-month recovery.
Burke has been struggling with shoulder issues since the end of last season. The team knew he was going to be behind entering spring training, but they were remaining optimistic that rehab would suffice, which also included two injections in his shoulder. Burke had been working in a rehab program that had him recently in the long-toss stage, but his symptoms continued to recur. Ultimately, the Rangers decided surgery was the best way to eradicate any further issues or setbacks.
Along with Joe Palumbo, Kolby Allard, Taylor Hearn, and Jonathan Hernandez, Burke is part of a platoon of young starting pitchers that are on the cusp of being Major League-ready in the Rangers' system. Burke was even able to make six starts for the Rangers in 2019, going 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.
The Rangers will likely put Brock Burke on the 60-day Injured List, which will open up a spot on the 40-man roster for the Rangers.
This is obviously terrible news for Burke. It seems like we can't go one year without terrible news like this coming from Surprise. However, the Rangers are doing the right thing. Burke is only 23 years old and the Rangers don't have an immediate need for him at the Major League level. He also doesn't have much more to refine at the Triple-A level. With the depth the Rangers have at starting pitching now, if something terrible like this was going to happen, it's best to nip it in the bud now and try to get him healthy for 2021.
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