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Texas Rangers lefthanded pitcher Brock Burke may be making his major league debut Tuesday, it sounds like. Per the beat guys, Chris Woodward indicated before today’s game he would like Joe Palumbo and Brock Burke to each start a game of the Tuesday, August 20, doubleheader. Palumbo has previously been named a likely starter that day and has made a few appearances in the big leagues, but Burke has yet to make his major league debut.
Burke, 23, was a 3rd round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2014 draft, and was sent to Texas this past offseason in the three-way deal that sent Jurickson Profar to Oakland. Burke got good reviews this spring and was thought to be fairly close to being major league ready, but blister and shoulder issues sidelined him for a good chunk of the season. Burke has a 3.90 ERA at four different levels this year, with 64 Ks and 18 walks in 62.1 IP.
Palumbo seems likely to stay in the rotation, which no longer has Pedro Payano in it, going forward, and Burke could join Palumbo and fellow rookie lefty Kolby Allard the rest of the way, either in a six man rotation or in place of Ariel Jurado. Palumbo, Allard and Burke will be auditioning over the final six weeks for priority in the 2020 rotation plans, and all three should be worth watching the rest of the way.