Relief pitcher Carson Coleman, who was selected by the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason, will not pitch in 2024 due to a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery (TJS), according to recent reports. Initially, Coleman was expected to return in the second half of the 2024 season, but this setback has altered those plans.
Coleman, a 26-year-old right-hander, previously pitched in the Yankees organization, where he posted an impressive 2.13 ERA over 62 innings between high-A and AA in 2022. Unfortunately, he missed the entire 2023 season due to TJS and is currently on the 60-day injured list, meaning he does not count against the Rangers’ 40-man roster limit.
The situation could become more complicated if Coleman requires additional surgery, which would likely cause him to miss the 2025 season as well. This potential extended absence would force the Rangers to make a difficult decision regarding Coleman’s future with the team. They would need to keep him on their 40-man roster through the next two offseasons in hopes that he could return to pitching in 2026.
If Coleman does return in 2026, he would have accumulated two full years of major league service time by that point. Additionally, he would need to spend 90 days on the active major league roster in 2026 before the Rangers could send him down to the minors. This creates a challenging scenario for the Rangers as they consider their options for managing Coleman’s roster status and recovery timeline.