Veteran pitcher Rich Hill recently tied an MLB record when he made a start for the Kansas City Royals, but his latest stint in the majors has quickly come to an end.
Hill has been designated for assignment, the Royals announced on Tuesday. The team has called up right-handed pitcher Thomas Hatch from Triple-A to take Hill’s place.
Hill signed a minor-league deal with the Royals in May. He started for Kansas City on July 22 against the Chicago Cubs and was solid, especially for a 45-year-old. Hill allowed six hits and one earned run over five innings in the Royals’ 6-0 loss.
Hill then made a second start for the Royals on Monday night against the Atlanta Braves. He allowed three hits and four earned runs across four innings and took another loss.
By starting a game for the Royals, Hill has now played in an MLB game for 14 different teams. That ties an MLB record. The left-hander was also the oldest player in the majors for the time he was on Kansas City’s roster.
Hill made four appearances with the Boston Red Sox last year and allowed two earned runs over 3.2 innings. The season before that, he pitched 146.1 innings total — mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also with the San Diego Padres.
Hill has gone 4-4 with a 5.36 ERA in Triple-A this season. He is 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA over his 20-year MLB career.
We would say the latest MLB appearance will probably be the last for Hill, but the longtime veteran has done nothing but defy odds in recent years.
