The Washington Post: Former Nats prospect Matt Purke finds major league success with the White Sox
By Chelsea Janes
CHICAGO — Left-handed pitching prospect Matt Purke did not expect the Nationals to let him go this offseason. They had released him after the 2014 season, then brought him back three days later.
When they released him again after the 2015 season, after he had returned from Tommy John surgery but not quite to form, a once-promising experiment ended for good. A season later, Purke got his first opportunity to pitch against his former organization in the big leagues.
“I definitely enjoyed my time over there and they took really good care of me and I wish them nothing but the best,†Purke said. “But it was a situation where it was time to get a fresh start and go somewhere new. I was thankful the White Sox gave me an opportunity.â€
The Nationals chose Purke in the third round of the 2011 draft. The Rangers took him in the first round in 2009, but Purke went to TCU instead and suffered a shoulder injury that diminished his appeal heading into the 2011 draft. In the kind of value-hunting move they have made repeatedly in drafts since, the Nationals took him.
He battled shoulder trouble in the following years, but battled his way to Class AA Harrisburg in 2014. He struggled with a 1-6 record and ERA greater than 8.00. By May, he needed Tommy John surgery, a setback that kept him out until late in the 2015 season, when he clawed back to Harrisburg but struggled again. He finished an abbreviated 2015 season with a 4.36 ERA in 20 appearances across three levels. …
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