Brody Bumila, the 18-year-old third-round pick of the Texas Rangers who regularly runs his fastball over 100 mph, on Tuesday said he'll need Tommy John surgery to repair damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.
The 6-foot-9, 255-pound Bumila, who was selected with the 89th pick in this year's draft after graduating high school, likely won't be able to return to the mound until late 2027 at the earliest.
He had internal-brace surgery to repair the same UCL in 2025, and he let MLB teams know prior to the draft that there was further damage that would require another procedure.
Bumila was expected to be a first-round selection after going 6-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 44â…“ innings at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
"I just think you've got to just keep going, not stop. If you think you can achieve your goal, you can achieve it," Bumila told WBZ-TV in Boston last week. "I think it just puts a bigger chip on my shoulder to a sense that all the other 29 MLB teams, everyone had an opportunity to take me and they didn't."
The Rangers on Tuesday announced that they had signed their top three draft picks, including Bumila to a $2.75 million deal. They also signed left-hander Gio Rojas, the No. 16 pick, to a $4.6 million deal, and infielder Connor Comeau, the No. 54 pick, to a $2.5 million contract.
"College would be amazing to go to, but every kid's dream is to be a professional baseball player not a college baseball player," said Bumila, who had committed to the University of Texas. "And I got a dollar sum I would consider life changing."
ESPN's Jeff Passan contributed to this report.
