Michael Pineda is a Dominican-born former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams during his career. He began his professional career in 2005, signing with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent. He spent several years in the Mariners' minor league system before making his MLB debut in 2011.
Pineda quickly established himself as a promising young pitcher, earning a spot in the Mariners' starting rotation and finishing fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. He was known for his impressive fastball, which regularly clocked in at over 95 miles per hour, as well as his slider and changeup.
After two seasons with the Mariners, Pineda was traded to the New York Yankees in 2012 in exchange for top prospect Jesus Montero. He missed the entire 2012 season due to a shoulder injury, but returned to the Yankees' rotation in 2013. He had a solid season, finishing with a 13-5 record and a 1.10 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched).
However, Pineda's time with the Yankees was marred by inconsistency and injuries. He missed significant time in 2014 and 2015 due to shoulder and elbow injuries, and struggled with his performance when he was on the field. He was also suspended for 10 games in 2014 for using pine tar on his neck during a game.
In 2016, Pineda had a strong start to the season, but once again struggled with consistency as the year went on. He finished the season with a 6-12 record and a 4.82 ERA (earned run average). He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Minnesota Twins.
Pineda spent two seasons with the Twins, but was limited by injuries during both years. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed most of the 2018 season due to a knee injury. He returned to the Twins' rotation in 2019 and had a solid season, finishing with an 11-5 record and a 4.01 ERA.
In 2020, Pineda was suspended for 60 games for testing positive for a banned substance. He returned to the Twins' rotation in 2021 and had a solid start to the season, but once again struggled with injuries. He was placed on the injured list multiple times throughout the year and finished the season with a 4-9 record and a 3.93 ERA.
Pineda announced his retirement from baseball in November 2021, ending a career that spanned over a decade. He finished with a career record of 71-62 and a 4.01 ERA. While injuries and inconsistency may have prevented him from reaching his full potential, Pineda was still a talented pitcher who had some memorable moments during his time in the majors.
⚾