RJ Petit: Rockies Reliever to Miss Season After Tommy John Surgery

Scottsdale, Arizona – Colorado Rockies relief pitcher RJ Petit will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, the team confirmed Friday. The surgery, performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, includes an internal brace.

Petit, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, was selected by the Rockies with the first pick of last year’s Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft allows teams without a full 40-man roster to select players left unprotected by other organizations, with the stipulation that the player must remain on the selecting team’s major league roster for the entirety of the following season or be offered back to their original club.

Prior to the surgery, Petit had a 10-2 record with a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts across Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in 2024. He recorded 79 strikeouts and 22 walks in 66 and one-third innings pitched. He was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 14th round of the 2021 amateur draft.

Throughout five minor league seasons, Petit has compiled a 21-15 record with a 3.40 ERA and 14 saves in 182 relief appearances and five starts. Despite his success in the minors, Petit had not yet made his Major League Baseball debut.

News of Petit’s injury was reported by multiple sources, including the Laredo Morning Times and the Eagle-Tribune, confirming the severity of the injury and the required surgical intervention.