Tekoah Roby Shaky Debut for Texas Rangers Affiliate

Tekoah Roby was unable to get out of the fourth inning of his first start with the Frisco RoughRiders on Saturday night.

Roby, the Texas Rangers’ No. 12 prospect per MLB.com, was also making his first start of the 2023 season. He spent all of last season with the High Class-A Hickory Crawdads.

Roby went 3 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, three runs (all earned) and three walks. He also struck out five. He left the game with Frisco down 3-0 to Amarillo.

Roby walked Amarillo’s leadoff hitter, Jordan Lawlar, who later stole second. He scored on a Caleb Roberts line drive to center. Roby ended the inning with a strikeout double-play.

In the second, Roby gave up a Tim Tawa home run to lead off the frame. After getting A.J. Vukovich to pop out and striking out Juan Centeno, Tristin English singled. The second ended with a Nick Dalesandro groundout.

In the third, Roby surrendered a leadoff home run to Ryan Bliss and walked Lawlar for the second time. Lawlar stole second. Roby then walked Roberts, but followed that by retiring the next three hitters.

Roby started the fourth by giving up a Centeno single. He induced a double-play, but allowed a Dalesandro single and was relieved by Marc Church.

Roby threw 77 pitches, 45 for strikes.

Roby is coming off a 2022 season in which he went 3-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 22 games (21 starts). He threw a career-high 104 2/3 innings, walked 35 and struck out 126. Batters hit .239 against him.

The Rangers selected Roby in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He excelled in instructional league and in 2021 he had a 2.45 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 22 innings as a 19-year-old in Low-A before getting shut down in mid-June with a sprained elbow.

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