Cardinals get promising news about prized injured pitching prospect

Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch posted on his Twitter/X page Friday evening that right-handed pitcher Tekoah Roby, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in late July last year, is nearing a return to the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals.

According to Guerrero, Cardinals' president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said that Roby is "getting closer and closer" to getting into a game. Bloom hinted at Roby potentially facing hitters in the next few days.

The Cardinals acquired Roby at the 2023 trade deadline when they sent pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers in a deal that also sent infielder Thomas Saggese to St. Louis. Roby and Saggese were revelations as prospects, and they helped strengthen a farm system that, at the time, was in the bottom third of baseball according to many outlets.

Roby last pitched in a game on July 10, 2025, and had Tommy John Surgery late in July. Now, 13 months later, he's very close to facing hitters once more.

Tekoah Roby returning from injury would make the St. Louis Cardinals farm system even better than it already is.

Prior to his injury in 2025, Roby had a 3.10 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 78.1 innings between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He had racked up 87 strikeouts while walking only 19 batters in that time span. Roby was on the fast track to the majors last year prior to his injury, and there was a chance he would see time with the major league team down the stretch.

His injury and subsequent Tommy John Surgery derailed that plan, and it set back Roby's progress and St. Louis's short-term plans in the majors. The positive news regarding his return to facing hitters should give fans hope.

Now, this isn't to say that Roby will see in-game action this year. Tommy John Surgery typically takes 15 months to get back to game action, so him pitching in games quicker than that timeline would be surprising. However, it's still impressive and promising to hear that he's close to facing hitters.

The Cardinals boast a strong crop of pitching prospects in the minors. Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tanner Franklin, Brandon Clarke, and Quinn Mathews are all solid prospects with high ceilings and good stuff. Prior to Chaim Bloom's remake of the farm system these last 18 months, Roby was seen as the prospect with the highest ceiling in the Cardinals' farm system. Him returning to the mound would give St. Louis perhaps the best crop of young pitching prospects throughout the majors.

Tekoah Roby is on the 40-man roster, so he won't be able to play in the minors next year if a lockout occurs on December 1st. Due to that fact, the Cardinals may be more apt to get him on the mound at least once in the final few weeks of MiLB games. That way, he can have some in-game experience rather than potentially going 18-20 months without playing competitive baseball.

It will take time for Tekoah Roby to regain his strength, consistency, and confidence on the mound. Let's not expect him to be his old self right when he comes back. Regardless, it's promising to hear that he's returning to pitching against hitters, and he might even make a start or two before the MiLB season is all said and done.

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