James Jones to miss 2020 with torn patellar tendon

James Jones, a lefthanded relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers on a minor league deal, will miss the 2020 season after having surgery for a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, per reports from the beat guys on Twitter. Jones injured his knee after having tripped on one of his children’s toys.

Jones was acquired by the Rangers after the 2015 season from the Seattle Mariners, along with Tom Wilhelmsen and Patrick Kivlehan, in the deal that sent Leonys Martin and Anthony Bass to Seattle. Jones, an outfielder at the time, was non-tendered two weeks later, then re-signed by the Rangers a week after that. After spending most of 2016 playing the outfield for Round Rock and not hitting much, the Rangers converted Jones to pitching, and he showed some promise before blowing out his elbow, necessitating Tommy John surgery which cost him the 2017 season.

Jones struggled in his return to the mound in 2018, putting up a 7.34 ERA in 30.2 IP between the AZL, Down East, Frisco and Round Rock, but he had a solid 2019 campaign, in which he had a 2.67 ERA in 64 IP between Frisco and Nashville. Jones also won the inaugural True Ranger Award for 2019, an awarded given to the minor leaguer who best embodies the core values of the organization.