Rich Hill is designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals have designated veteran left-handed pitcher Rich Hill for assignment, after only two starts with the team.
Hill, 45, pitched for the Royals on July 22 and 28, losing both games and accumulating an ERA of 5.00 in nine innings.
Hill, the oldest player in the Major Leagues, was competing in his 21st season. His appearances with the Royals allowed him to tie pitcher Edwin Jackson’s record, playing for a fourteenth team.
Before being called up, Hill made nine starts for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, with a 4-4 record and a 5.36 ERA.
In a corresponding move, Kansas City called up right-handed pitcher Thomas Hatch from Omaha.
Hatch, 30, returns to the majors for the first time since 2023, when he split the season between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has a 4-4 record with a 4.96 ERA in 39 appearances (six starts) for the Blue Jays (2020-23) and the Pirates.
This season, Hatch is 5-6 with an ERA of 4.22 in 18 starts for Omaha. He spent the 2024 season pitching in Japan.
