Rangers are signing the 28-year-old right-hander Tyler Zombro to a minor league deal, report Jeff Passan of ESPN. It’s been less than two years since Zombro was hit in the head by a drive at 104 mph while pitching the Rays’ Triple-A branch, causing him to convulse on the mound and crack his skull.
He briefly returned to the field last year at Triple-A Durham, appearing in two games before having surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. He was released by the Rays in March. Any comeback would be a significant achievement for Zombro, who spent five days in the intensive care unit of Duke University Hospital undergoing brain surgery in June 2021.
He has never attended the major tournaments, but has shown some promise as a minor relief pitcher. He owned a 1.87 ERA in 57 2/3 rounds in Double-A and achieved a 5.30 ERA in a smaller sample of 18 2/3 rounds in Triple-A. Triple-A is where he will report to Rangers, where he will look to give the team some bullpen depth.
