CSN Chicago: Matt Purke realizes his dream in major league debut
By JJ STANKEVITZ
Matt Purke’s major league debut Friday night was the culmination of a seven-year journey to get here, complete with plenty of peaks and valleys.
The 25-year-old left-hander was a first-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2009 out of a high school in the suburbs of Houston, but didn’t sign. After three years at TCU, he was picked by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the 2011 draft and was considered a top prospect soon thereafter — Baseball Prospectus ranked him as its No. 91 prospect prior to the 2012 season.
But Purke’s star quickly fell in a rash of injuries. He had shoulder surgery shortly after being drafted in 2011 and underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2014. In between were some rough seasons — like before his surgery two years ago, when he had an 8.04 ERA in eight starts — but he stuck with it and finally got his chance with the White Sox. …
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