Minor League Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals Dealing With Devastating Injury to Another Pitching Prospect

Three pitchers in the Cardinals' minor league system have undergone Tommy John surgery this season.
Jami Leabow|
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tekoah Roby at spring training in Jupiter, Fla., on Feb 20, 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tekoah Roby at spring training in Jupiter, Fla., on Feb 20, 2025. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

A third St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect reportedly has undergone Tommy John surgery.

The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Keith Law reported Monday that Tekoah Roby, who would have been a candidate for the big league rotation next season, had the surgery on Friday after two weeks on the injured list.

He is unlikely to take the mound again until 2027, multiple sources told The Athletic.

Roby, 23, is ranked as the No. 6 prospect and the top right-hander in the Cardinals’ system by MLB Pipeline.

The Cardinals acquired Roby, pitcher John King and infielder Thomas Saggese in 2023 when they traded pitcher Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers.

Roby threw just 38.1 innings in 2024 because of elbow issues but started this season strong at Double-A Springfield, going 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts. He was promoted to Triple-A Memphis in June and posted a 3-2 record and a 4.02 ERA in six starts.

His first two Memphis starts were rough – he gave up six earned runs in each – but the final four were stellar: two earned runs and 18 hits over 21 innings with 21 strikeouts and five walks.

Between the two affiliates, Roby ends the season with a 7-4 record and 3.10 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 19 walks in 78.1 innings. He relies on the slider and two-seam fastball.

In April, Cooper Hjerpe underwent Tommy John surgery, followed by Sem Robberse in May.

Hjepe, a 24-year-old right-hander, was selected by the Cardinals in the first-round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oregon State.

Robberse, a 23-year-old right-hander from the Netherlands, was part of the return the Cardinals received in 2023 when they traded pitcher Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays. Robberse was selected for the 2023 Futures Game.

The St. Louis pitching staff can use reinforcements.

This season, the Cardinals rank 22nd in the league in team ERA (4.22), 28th in strikeouts (782) and sixth-worst in average against (.258).

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

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