Brandon Morrow is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on July 26, 1984, in Santa Rosa, California, and attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played college baseball for the California Golden Bears.
Morrow was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2007. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Mariners, primarily as a relief pitcher. In 2010, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he was converted to a starting pitcher. He had a breakout season in 2012, when he posted a 2.96 earned run average (ERA) and struck out 10.2 batters per nine innings.
Morrow's career was plagued by injuries, however, and he struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He missed significant time in 2013 and 2014 due to a variety of injuries, including a torn oblique muscle and a nerve issue in his forearm. He returned to the Blue Jays in 2015 but was limited to just 16 starts due to a shoulder injury.
In 2016, Morrow signed with the San Diego Padres but missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury. He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 and made his return to the majors as a relief pitcher. He was a key member of the Dodgers' bullpen during their run to the World Series that year, posting a 2.06 ERA in 14 appearances.
Morrow signed a two-year, $21 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in December 2017. He began the 2018 season as the Cubs' closer but was placed on the disabled list in June with a back injury. He returned in July but was shut down for the season in September due to a bone bruise in his elbow.
Morrow announced his retirement from baseball in January 2020, citing ongoing health issues. He finished his career with a 51-43 record, a 4.05 ERA, and 640 strikeouts in 704 innings pitched. Despite his injury struggles, Morrow was known for his high velocity fastball and devastating slider, which made him a dominant pitcher when healthy.
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