Jake Odorizzi pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 28, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Rays granted right-handed pitcher Jake Odorizzi on April 11, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Odorizzi, 34, was born in Breese, Illinois, and played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, starting with the Kansas City Royals in 2012, the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013-17, the Minnesota Twins from 2018-20, the Houston Astros from 2021–22, and the Atlanta Braves in 2022.
According to Topkin, “his performance in spring training with Tampa Bay and Triple-A Durham was limited by a hamstring strain and not an arm issue. He will hope to let his leg heal and build his arm up again. Odorizzi will be open to re-signing with the Rays or any of the 29 teams.”
Odorizzi was an All-Star in 2019 and won the gold medal at the 2017 World Baseball Classic with the United States. He was selected 32nd to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft, signed out of Highland High School in Illinois, and was assigned to the Rookie Complex Level league.
On March 15, he signed a minor league contract with the Rays, which included an invite to big league camp.
During spring training, Odorizzi appeared in one game out of the bullpen with a 9.00 ERA, throwing three innings, allowing one hit, three earned runs, one home run, two walks, and four strikeouts.
Odorizzi started in two games at the start of 2024 with Triple-A Durham and went 0-2 with an 11.81 ERA, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits, seven earned runs, one home run, five walks, and two strikeouts. He was out for the 2023 season with a right rotator cuff strain when he was placed on the 60-day injured list with the Texas Rangers on March 23, 2023, and elected free agency on November 2, 2023.
Odorizzi was out for all of 2023 after he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.
During the 2022 regular season, Odorizzi started with Houston and posted a 4-3 record in 12 starts with a 3.75 ERA throwing 60 innings, allowing 52 hits, 25 earned runs, five home runs, 17 walks, 46 strikeouts, and a 1.150 WHIP before he was traded to Atlanta on August 2, 2022, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Will Smith going to the Astros.
With Atlanta, Odorizzi made ten starts and went 2-3 with a 5.24 ERA, throwing 46.1 innings and allowing 54 hits, 27 earned runs, nine home runs, 18 walks, 40 strikeouts, and a 1.554 WHIP.
During Odorizzi’s 11 seasons in MLB, he has posted a lifetime record of 74-69 with a 3.99 ERA with 237 starts and 241 appearances, recording one save, throwing 1,253.1 innings, allowing 1,137 hits, 555 earned runs, 171 home runs, 427 walks, 1,172 strikeouts, and a 1.248 WHIP.
