According to FanSided, MLB veteran Rich Hill is returning to the major leagues. Before Monday’s series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, Hill, a seasoned left-hander, was in Omaha with the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate. Hill is anticipated to be called up by the Kansas City Royals; however, the team has not yet made the roster change official. Hill might start as early as Tuesday, given that Michael Lorenzen was just added to the disabled list.
When Hill plays for the Royals, he will play for his 14th different team, tying Edwin Jackson’s major-league record. Hill might play this week for the Cubs, with whom he started his Major League Baseball career in 2005. The Cubs, Orioles, Red Sox, Cleveland, Angels, Yankees, Athletics, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, Mets, Pirates, Padres, Red Sox for the fourth time, and now the Royals are the teams he has played for during his career.
Hill Set to Become Oldest Active MLB Player
On May 14, Hill, 45, agreed to a minor league contract with the Royals. Despite the Pacific Coast League’s hitter-friendly nature and the fact that those games served as a sort of spring training for Hill, he has a 5.36 ERA in nine starts with their Triple-A club. Hill became the first 45-year-old to strike out 10 batters in a professional game since Nolan Ryan in 1992 on July 13, after he did so in five innings.
On Monday, Hill, who is 45 years and 132 days old, will become the oldest pitcher to play in an MLB game since the ageless Jamie Moyer threw until he was 49 in 2012 and the oldest player to play in an MLB game since Ichiro Suzuki, who was 45 in 2019. In addition, Hill will age into the Royals’ oldest player. Gaylord Perry, who was 45 years and 6 days old on September 21, 1983, when he made his Kansas City debut, now holds that record. Perry’s career ended in that game.
Hill will join Max Scherzer (40), Justin Turner (40), Jesse Chavez (41), Yuli Gurriel (41), Charlie Morton (41), and Justin Verlander (42) as the sixth person in their 40s to play in an MLB game this season.
Hill made four appearances with Boston last season and pitched three ⅔ relief innings while giving up two runs. As recently as 2023, he threw a full season for the Pirates and Padres, recording a 5.41 ERA in 27 starts and five relief appearances. In his 20 major league seasons, Hill has a 90-74 record and a 4.01 ERA. Before resuming his career with the Red Sox in 2015, he played in an independent league.
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