The Kansas City Royals designated veteran left-hander Rich Hill for assignment on Tuesday after he made just two starts for the club.
Hill, 45, pitched for the Royals on July 22 and 28, losing both times and compiling a 5.00 ERA over nine innings.
Hill was the oldest player in the majors and competing in his 21st major league season. His appearances with the Royals allowed him to tie fellow pitcher Edwin Jackson’s record by playing for a 14th team.
Before being recalled, Hill made nine starts for Triple-A Omaha this year, going 4-4 with a 5.36 ERA.
Kansas City recalled right-hander Thomas Hatch from Omaha in a corresponding move.
Hill also pitched for the Chicago Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Boston Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022, 2024), Cleveland Indians (2013), Los Angeles Angels (2014), New York Yankees (2014), Oakland Athletics (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), New York Mets (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2023) and San Diego Padres (2023).
His career record is 90-76 with a 4.02 ERA, 551 walks and 1,432 strikeouts in 1,418 innings over 388 games (250 starts). In 13 postseason appearances (12 starts), Hill is 1-2 with a 3.06 ERA.
Hatch, 30, is back in the majors for the first time since 2023 when he split the season with the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh. He is 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA in 39 appearances (six starts) for the Blue Jays (2020-23) and Pirates.
This season, Hatch is 5-6 with a 4.22 ERA in 18 starts for Omaha. He spent the 2024 season pitching in Japan.
–Field Level Media
