Pitcher Tyler Zombro announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. The Texas Rangers’ minor leaguer made an extraordinary recovery from a life-threatening injury he sustained in 2021 while with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In a social media post, Zombro explained that it was “time” for him to step away from the game. He shared, “This is a post I’ve dreaded…. but it’s time. The past three-plus years have been tough due to ongoing nerve issues from my head injury in ’21. I find more fulfillment in helping others than in helping myself, and now it’s time to focus on that full-time.”
At 29 years old, Zombro was on the Triple-A Round Rock roster this season but hadn’t pitched, as he was on the 60-day injured list. He had joined the Rangers before the 2023 season and made two appearances for Round Rock, pitching two innings without an earned run.
Zombro spent much of 2023 on the injured list as well.
His presence on any roster is nothing short of miraculous. While pitching for Triple-A Durham in June 2021, Zombro was struck in the head by a 104 mph line drive from an opposing hitter, just above his right ear.
He lost consciousness, fell face-first, and had a seizure. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on the incident, highlighting the deep concern of other players without showing the injury itself.
Zombro was rushed to Duke University Hospital for emergency surgery to repair a skull fracture, which involved 16 titanium plates and 36 screws. Remarkably, he was conscious the next day and discharged a few days later.
The nerve damage he mentioned in his announcement stemmed from this incident.
Despite requiring extensive physical, speech, and occupational therapy, Zombro returned to baseball in 2022 with Durham. He pitched two games with the Bulls, ending with a 13.50 ERA.
Undrafted out of George Mason, Zombro signed with the Rays in 2017 and was named their minor league relief pitcher of the year in 2019 after a standout season with a 2.29 ERA and 11 saves in 49 games.
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