Texas Rangers: Brock Burke to miss entire season after shoulder surgery

The Texas Rangers took their first hit of Spring Training, losing top pitching prospect Brock Burke for the season with shoulder surgery.

The Texas Rangers are losing their prized lefty Brock Burke for the 2020 season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery on Friday back in Dallas. Burke’s recovery is expected to take up to 12 months.

Burke was acquired in the three-team trade with Oakland and Tampa Bay last offseason for Jurickson Profar. He started his Rangers’ career at Double-A Frisco, making three starts before he was put on the Injured List from April 23 to June 16 with shoulder fatigue.

Burke made his debut in Arlington on August 20. He made six starts for the Texas Rangers, sporting a 1.50 ERA in the first three before hitting a wall and giving up 19 runs in 8 2/3 innings.

Burke hadn’t seen any live action this spring, but had begun throwing from 90 feet.  The shoulder didn’t respond to the rehab program, leading to the surgery. This injury joins a lengthening list of trouble the Rangers have had among top pitching prospects and injuries. Numerous younger prospects have missed chunks of seasons due to arm injuries including notably, Taylor Hearn and Owen White. While Texas has worked to improve their big league rotation depth, this will be a blow to the upper levels of their minor league system.

The Texas Rangers had hoped he would help fill out Nashville’s rotation with Kolby Allard, Taylor Hearn, Joe Palumbo and Jonathan Hernandez. As of now, Ariel Jurado looks like the Sounds fifth starter to open the season, barring another injury. Luckily for Texas, for the first time in many years, the Rangers have an abundance of young pitching depth to help support a big league rotation with a deep injury history.