T.J. Brock struck out the side on 13 pitches and touched 98 mph at TD Ballpark during his second rehab outing, according to the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday, July 26. Days later, the right-handed pitcher was gone, back with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats after a brief but electric stay in Dunedin.

Brock, a Cincinnati native in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, was assigned to Class-A Dunedin on Tuesday, July 21, for a Minor League rehab stint. The Source magazine reported in October 2025 that Brock underwent Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. In his first outing on July 21, he recorded a pair of strikeouts. The team's social media account called the performance "absolute filth."

The on-field results alone would have drawn attention. But Brock carries a backstory that turned his Dunedin assignment into something far bigger than a typical Single-A roster move: genuine, documented connections to some of hip-hop's biggest names.

From O Block to the ballpark

Brock had a personal relationship with late Chicago rapper King Von before Von's death in November 2020. Photos and video clips surfaced showing Brock in King Von's music videos and backstage at performances. Von regularly liked Brock's Instagram posts, and the pitcher earned the nickname "O Block Brock" within Von's circle. Brock has a tattoo of Von's street alias, "V Roy," on his leg.

His connections extend further. Brock has been photographed with Kodak Black and Pooh Shiesty, is followed on social media by Lil Durk and Moneybagg Yo, and has ties to Memphis rapper Blac Youngsta.

Dunedin fans noticed

The Dunedin Blue Jays' announcement of Brock's rehab assignment on July 21 generated more than 2 million impressions on X, with 699 likes and 56 bookmarks, far outpacing a typical Single-A roster transaction. The team posted a video interview with Brock on Friday, July 24, in which he discussed both his hip-hop connections and his comeback.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats announced on Tuesday, July 28, that Brock had rejoined their roster, signaling his Dunedin rehab was complete and he had been cleared to pitch at the Double-A level.

For fans who caught Brock's two outings at TD Ballpark, the visit offered a glimpse of a hard-throwing arm with a story unlike anyone else in professional baseball. His next appearances will come with the Fisher Cats in Manchester, New Hampshire.