Over at U.S.S. Mariner, they are doing on ongoing research project on the number of serious injuries experienced by pitching prospects from each organization, inspired by the awful luck that the Mariners have had with pitching prospects over that period. They are using pitchers who crack the Baseball America top 10 prospect lists during the period from 1995-2004. It is an interesting topic, and definitely worth a look.
They haven't done one for the Rangers yet, so I went ahead and put one together. It is not a pretty sight...if anything, the Rangers may have had worse luck with pitcher injuries than the Mariners have:
Pitchers appearing at least once on the Baseball America Top Ten list: 32
Listed pitchers suffering rotator cuff/labrum injuries that required surgery: 4 (Cedeno, Dittfurth, Kolb, Lewis)
Listed pitchers suffering elbow ligament injuries requiring surgery: 7 (Dempster, Elder, Kolb, Kozlowski, Lee, Wilson, Zimmerman)
Listed pitchers suffering mystery arm injuries: 1 (Carrion)
Joaquin Benoit - 6/1998, 5/2001, 9/2002
Signed by the Rangers as a free agent in 1996 at age 19. Has had regular injury problems, including a strained elbow in 1998 that didn't require surgery. Pitched only 311 innings from 1997-2000 because of ongoing injury issues. Currently on the disabled list.
Jim Brower - 5/1998
Drafted in the 6th round in 1994 by the Rangers at age 21. Released in April of 1998, signed by Cleveland in April 1998, and spent the last seven years as a vagabond middle reliever. No known injury issues.
George Carrion - 7/1997
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 7th round of 1995 draft. Suffered a mystery arm injury both in 1996 and in 2000. Out of baseball.
Jovanny Cedeno - 9/2000, 2/2001, 8/2002
Signed by the Rangers out of the D.R. in 1997. Pitched only 313 professional innings over 7 minor league seasons due to injuries, including just 15 total in 2001 and 2002 combined. Suffered a torn labrum late in 2002, requiring surgery, and from which he never fully recovered. Released by the Rangers in 2004.
Francisco Cordero - 2/2000
Signed by the Tigers out of the D.R. in 1994. Traded to the Rangers as part of the Justin Thompson/Juan Gonzalez trade. Missed significant time in 1996 and 1998 with a fractured elbow. Missed significant time in 2001 due to a stress fracture. Has been the Rangers' closer since mid-2003.
John Danks - 2/2004
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 1st round of 2003 draft. No injury history. Currently at AA.
Doug Davis - 8/2000
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 10th round of 1996 draft. After a successful 2001 season in the Ranger rotation (despite a brief demotion to AAA), Davis struggled in 2002, was sent to AAA again, and ended up being shut down for a while due to injury. Lost on waivers to the Blue Jays in 2003 after being brought up to make a spot start, waived by the Blue Jays later in 2003, and then signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, whose rotation he is currently in.
Ryan Dempster - 7/1996
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1995 draft. Traded in 1996 to the Florida Marlins, along with Rick Helling, for John Burkett. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003. Currently pitching for the Cubs.
Ryan Dittfurth - 6/2002
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 5th round of the 1998 draft. Missed end of 2002, all of 2003, and most of 2004 with shoulder problems. Underwent rotator cuff surgery in 2002.
Juan Dominguez - 4/2004
Signed by the Rangers as a free agent out of the D.R. in 1999. Missed significant time in 2004 with back problems. Currently pitching out of the Ranger bullpen.
David Elder - 10/2000
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 4th round of the 1997 draft. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 1998. Traded to the Indians for John Rocker in the 2001-02 offseason.
Ryan Glynn - 8/1998, 3/1999
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 4th round of the 1995 draft. Pitched for the Rangers from 1999-2001. Released in 2001. Pitched in the majors for the Blue Jays in 2004, and is currently in the Oakland rotation. No significant injury history.
Travis Hughes - 9/2003
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 19th round of the 1997 draft, signed as a draft-and-follow in 1998. Claimed by the Nationals off of waivers in spring of 2004, currently pitching for New Orleans in AAA. No significant injury history.
Jonathon Johnson - 6/1996, 3/1997
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 1st round (#7 overall) of the 1995 draft. Bounced between AAA and Texas from 1998-2001. Traded to the D-Backs for future considerations in 2001, has pitched briefly in the majors since then for San Diego and Houston. Retired in 2003.
Brandon Knight - 5/1998
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 14th round of the 1995 draft. Traded with Sam Marsonek to the Yankees in the 1999-2000 offseason for Chad Curtis. Pitched in 11 games for the Yankees in 2001-02. Now pitching in Japan.
Dan Kolb - 1/1997, 7/1998
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 6th round of the 1995 draft. Underwent both Tommy John surgery in 2000, and rotator cuff surgery in 2002. Released in 2003, signed with the Brewers, traded to the Braves after the 2004 season, and has since flopped as a closer.
Ben Kozlowski - 3/2003
Drafted out of college by the Braves in the 12th round of the 1999 draft. Traded to the Rangers for Andy Pratt in April, 2002. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003. Claimed by the Reds on waivers in October, 2004. Currently pitching at AA for the Reds.
Corey Lee - 10/1997, 3/1998, 6/1999
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 1st round (supplemental) of the 1996 draft. Traded to the White Sox for Herb Perry in 2001. Underwent Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2003 season.
Colby Lewis - 6/2000, 6/2001, 4/2002, 2/2003
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 1st round (supplemental) of the 1999 draft. Had Tommy John surgery before he was drafted by the Rangers. Underwent rotator cuff surgery in 2004. Claimed off of waivers from the Rangers by the Tigers in October, 2004. Had rotator cuff surgery in April, 2005.
Wes Littleton - 7/2004
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 4th round of the 2003 draft. Currently pitching in relief in AA.
Sam Marsonek - 9/1998
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 1st round of the 1996 draft. Traded with Brandon Knight to the Yankees in the 1999-2000 offseason for Chad Curtis. Currently pitching in AAA for the Yankees.
Jerry Martin - 9/1995
49th round draft pick of the Rangers out of college in 1991. I have nothing else on him.
Ritchie Moody - 10/1995
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 2nd round of the 1992 draft. I think he had arm problems, but I'm not positive.
Aaron Myette - 8/2001
Drafted out of college by the White Sox in the 1st round (supplemental) of the 1997 draft. Traded to the Rangers with Brian Schmack for Royce Clayton in 2000. Traded with Travis Hafner to the Indians for Ryan Drese and Einar Diaz in 2003.
Danny Patterson - 6/1997
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 47th round of the 1989 draft. Traded to Detroit as part of the Juan Gonzalez/Justin Thompson trade. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2002.
Matt Perisho - 4/1998
Drafted out of high school by the Angels in the 3rd round of the 1993 draft. Traded to the Rangers for Mike Bell in 1997. Traded to the Tigers for Brandon Villafuerte and Kevin Mobley in 2000. Has bounced around as a AAA lefty.
Andy Pratt - 9/2001
Drafted out of high school by the Rangers in the 9th round of the 1998 draft. Traded to the Braves for Ben Kozlowski in 2002. Traded to the Cubs for Juan Cruz in 2004. Traded to the Brewers for Ben Grieve in 2004.
Mario Ramos - 3/2002
Drafted out of college by Oakland in the 4th round of the 1999 draft. Traded to the Rangers with Gerald Laird, Ryan Ludwick and Jason Hart for Carlos Pena and Mike Venafro in 2002. Claimed by Oakland on waivers in 2003. Currently pitching for the A's AAA club.
Josh Rupe - 9/2004
Drafted out of college by the White Sox in the 3rd round of the 2002 draft. Traded to the Rangers with Frankie Francisco and Anthony Webster in 2003 for Carl Everett. Currently pitching for the Rangers' AAA affiliate.
Julio Santana - 1/1995, 2/1996
Signed by the Rangers as a free agent out of the D.R. in 1990. Claimed by the D-Rays off of waivers from the Rangers in 1998. Bounced around since then. Currently with Milwaukee.
C.J. Wilson - 8/2003
Drafted out of college by the Rangers in the 5th round of the 2001 draft. Underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003. Currently pitching in long relief for the Rangers.
Jeff Zimmerman - 10/1999
Signed out of the Northern League in 1998. After three quality seasons in the Ranger bullpen, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2002. Still attempting to return from that surgery.