Rich Hill just keeps on pitching. The veteran left-hander is being called up by the Kansas City Royals on Monday after signing a minor-league deal with the team in mid-May. Hill’s promotion from Triple-A Omaha was reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray.
By joining the Royals, the 45-year-old Hill supplants Justin Verlander, 42, as the oldest active player in Major League Baseball. He’ll be the sixth 40-year-old on an MLB roster this season.
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Kansas City is also the 14th MLB team Hill will pitch for in his 21 seasons, tying Edwin Jackson for the most teams a player has joined during his career. He last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2024, making four appearances and compiling a 4.91 ERA in 3 2/3 innings.
Hill’s role with the Royals isn’t yet clear, as the team hasn’t officially announced his recall yet. Kansas City’s starting pitcher for Tuesday’s matchup with the Chicago Cubs is TBD as of Monday, so Hill could get the start. All nine of Hill’s appearances for Triple-A Omaha were starts, averaging 4 2/3 innings. He collected a 5.36 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 25 walks in 42 innings.
In his July 13 start against the Toledo Mud Hens, Hill notched 10 strikeouts while allowing one run and four hits. With that, he became the first 45-year-old to reach double-digit strikeouts in a professional baseball game since Nolan Ryan did so against the Athletics on Aug. 6, 1992, according to FanSided.
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The Royals currently have starting pitchers Cole Ragans (left rotator cuff strain), Alec Marsh (right shoulder soreness) and Michael Lorenzen (left oblique strain) on the injured list. Additionally, reliever Daniel Lynch IV (left elbow nerve irritation) has been sidelined since July 6.
Hill signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on May 13 and moved to Triple-A after two appearances with the club’s Rookie League team. He could opt out of his deal on June 15, but chose to remain with Omaha for the opportunity to be called up or sign with another team if one showed interest.
During his career, Hill’s record is 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA and an average of 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. His best season was arguably 2007, when he went 11-8 with a 3.93 ERA in 32 starts, striking out 183 batters in 195 innings.
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The 14 MLB teams Hill has played for are as follows:
Cubs (2005-08)
Orioles (2009)
Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022, 2024)
Guardians (2013)
Angels (2014)
Yankees (2014)
Athletics (2016)
Dodgers (2016-19)
Twins (2020)
Rays (2021)
Mets (2021)
Pirates (2023)
Padres (2023)
Royals (2025)
