Omar

Poveda

Povedo returned from Tommy John surgery last season and posted a 4.32 ERA and 116/54 K/BB ratio over 156 1/3 innings with Double-A Jacksonville. Baseball America didn’t include the 24-year-old right-hander among the organization’s Top 30 prospects.

The move clears him from the 40-man roster. Poveda, 24, returned from Tommy John surgery last season and has a 4.34 ERA in four starts with Jacksonville this year. Baseball America didn’t include him among the Marlins’ Top 30 prospects.

The 26-year-old hurler spent the 2013 season in the Braves organization, where he posted a 3.62 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 133/59 K/BB ratio in 164 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett. He’ll function as organizational depth for the Nationals.

He struck out seven. Poveda was coming off an outing in which he gave up nine runs, but he’s allowed a total of one earned run in his other three starts this month. If the Rangers didn’t have their high-A affiliate in the California League, they probably would have promoted him by now. As is, it’s probably for the best they they’ve continued to let him excel.

The Rangers haven’t been quick to promote prospects, so it looks like Poveda could stay with Clinton all year. It might be for the best, since he’d go to offense-heavy California League if moved up. The 19-year-old Poveda is 8-3 with a 2.50 ERA, 71 H and 82/25 K/BB in 93 2/3 IP in the Midwest League.

Poveda hasn’t progressed as hoped since breaking through in 2007, but there are still moments of brilliance. The 21-year-old is 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA, 45 H and 27/20 K/BB in 52 1/3 innings this season. He may yet be a middle-of-the-rotation guy someday.

It’s just a formality with Poveda, who will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this month.

An MRI on Wednesday morning showed a complete tear in his elbow. Poveda, 22, was 11-6 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 24 starts between three levels in the Rangers’ organization last season, reaching as high as Triple-A Oklahoma City. His strikeout rate dropped from nearly one per inning to 5.0 K/9 last season, prompting many to scratch their heads. He was not included among the organization’s top 10 prospects by Baseball America this winter.

They’ll do their due diligence with the 22-year-old before opting for Tommy John surgery. Injuries have slowed Poveda’s progress since a standout campaign with Single-A Clinton in 2007. He was 11-6 with a 4.10 and 1.37 WHIP in 24 starts between three levels in the Rangers’ organization last season.

The Rangers sought a second opinion before opting for surgery, but an MRI on Wednesday morning showed a complete tear in his elbow. Poveda, 22, was once considered a top prospect, but injuries have slowed his progress. He was 11-6 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 24 starts between three levels in the Rangers’ organization last season. Recovery time after Tommy John surgery typically takes anywhere from 12-18 months.