Prized Houston Astros pitching prospect Corbin Martin underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week, general manager Jeff Luhnow told reporters on Friday.
The right-hander felt a pop in his elbow while pitching for Triple-A Round Rock on June 23. Martin underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday and will likely miss most of the 2020 campaign.
Martin is rated the club’s No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was a second-round pick in 2017 by the Astros.
Martin, 23, went 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in five starts for Houston earlier this season. He is 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts) at Round Rock.
The Astros were hoping Martin would return to the major league club later in the season. Now they may keep a close eye on available pitchers, particularly with All-Star right-hander Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants potentially available. Houston also is reportedly highly interested in Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd.