PORT CHARLOTTE (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff looks like it's taken another hit to a young starter.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was the first to report that right-hander Jose De Leon has torn a ligament in his right elbow and will require Tommy John surgery. The team has since confirmed the report, saying the pitcher will visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.
De Leon, 25, went 1-0 with a 10.13 earned run average in one relief appearance with the Rays at the big league level, allowing three runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings May 29 against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. He made ten appearances in the minors in 2017, eight starts, and went 2-2 with a 3.05 earned run average, but had three different stints on the disabled list.
The Rays acquired De Leon on January 23, 2017 in a deal that send infielder Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers. De Leon had been listed as the team's third best prospect in 2016, according to Baseball Prospectus.