‘Matt Purke 3’
courtesy of ‘jondejong’
Nationals draft pick LHP Matt Purke, who signed with the team in the late hours of Monday night, introduced himself to the core group of Nationals beat writers this afternoon from the team’s ballpark at the Navy Yard. He spoke with what Dave Nichols of Nats News Networks called “a quiet confidence.”
What convinced him to sign with Washington? “They come highly recommended,” he said. “I’ve seen the things they’ve done the last few years with the prospects they’ve brought in and the Major League players as well. This organization is going to be very strong, they’re building, and they’re going to be a serious team to deal with in the years to come. I knew I wanted to be a part of that and hopefully to be a helpful piece in the puzzle.”
The 21-year-old southpaw from East Texas just completed his sophomore year at Texas Christian University and told media members who were present that he’s ready for about two or three innings of work based on how his arm feels.
Purke suffered from bursitis in 2011 which limited him to 11 starts during the college season. Bursitis is an inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that lies between a tendon and skin or between a tendon and bone. That’s the reason the Nationals requested Purke complete a physical, MRI and arthogram.
Other than that minor medical setback, Purke was dominant during his time at TCU with a 21-1 record over two years of work. He was also named NCAA College Freshman of the Year in 2010.
For more from Purke’s press conference today, Nats News Network has a complete transcript up and ready for reading! You can check it out here.
Rachel moved to DC in the fall of 2005 to study Journalism and Music at American University. When she’s not keeping up with the latest Major League Baseball news, she works on making music as an accomplished singer-songwriter and was even a featured performer/speaker at TEDxDupont Circle in 2012. Rachel has also contributed to The Washington Examiner and MASN Sports’ Nationals Buzz as a guest blogger. See why she loves DC. E-Mail: rachel@welovedc.com.
