Professional Documents
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Professional Career: Washington Nationals
Professional Career: Washington Nationals
The Texas Rangers selected Purke in the first round, with the 14th overall selection, of the 2009
Major League Baseball Draft.[2] He did not sign, and instead enrolled at Texas Christian
University (TCU), where he played college baseball for the TCU Horned Frogs. While there, he
earned 2nd Team All American as a Freshman, and was named the Freshman of the year while
going 16–0 with a 3.02 ERA. His sophomore year he went 5–1 with a 1.71 ERA in 11 starts.[3]
Professional career
Washington Nationals
Purke was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the 2011 Major League
Baseball Draft.[4] He signed with the Nationals on August 15, 2011.[5] He was added to the 40-
man roster in 2012 and made 3 starts for the Class A Hagerstown Suns. He then had shoulder
debridement surgery and missed the remainder of the 2012 season. He returned with Hagerstown
in 2013.
Pitching for the Harrisburg Senators of the Class AA Eastern League in 2014, Purke struggled
with a 1–6 record and an 8.04 ERA. Purke underwent Tommy John surgery.[6] In November
2014, the Nationals released Purke,[7] and then re-signed him to a minor league contract with an
invitation to spring training.[8]