Rich Hill is on the verge of making a record-tying return to the major leagues with the Kansas City Royals, a league source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic. The 45-year-old left-hander will join the team as a member of its taxi squad on Monday, and could pitch as soon as Tuesday.
Should he take the mound for Kansas City, he would tie Edwin Jackson’s record for appearing in games with 14 MLB teams. Jackson passed Octavio Dotel (13 teams) for the honor of playing with the most teams in the majors in 2019.
Hill’s first outing would also mark his 21st consecutive year with at least one game in the major leagues. He was briefly out of affiliated baseball in 2015, pitching in the independent Atlantic League before the start of his late-career renaissance.
Hill’s Royals debut could come against the Chicago Cubs, with whom he first reached the major leagues in 2005.
A fourth-round pick of the Cubs in 2002, Hill has been a journeyman since he last pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. After posting a 3.16 ERA across four seasons with the Dodgers and playing a pivotal role in that team’s postseason success, Hill signed a series of one-year contracts, beginning with the Minnesota Twins ahead of 2020. He also joined the Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox on separate deals. He was traded twice in that period, by the Rays to the New York Mets in late July 2021 and by the Pirates to the San Diego Padres at the 2023 deadline.
In addition to his original team, he also previously suited up in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. Hill pitched in the major leagues last season with the Red Sox, but he had not signed to play this season until the Royals inked him to a minor-league deal in May.
Hill gave up 25 earned runs and posted a 1.62 WHIP in 42 innings over 11 starts for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate. He also struck out 48 batters, including 10 in five innings on July 14. The majority of the damage against Hill came in three starts. He has lasted at least five innings in six of his outings.
It’s unclear what role Hill will serve for the Royals, whose rotation ranks second in baseball with a 3.36 ERA. But the staff recently lost starter Michael Lorenzen to the injured list with an oblique strain, and Cole Ragans, who was fourth in Cy Young Award voting last year, has been on the shelf with a rotator cuff strain since early June. Additionally, left-handed reliever Daniel Lynch IV was put on the IL with nerve irritation in his elbow on July 6.
The Royals are in fourth place in the AL Central and 5 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.
The Athletic’s Andy McCullough contributed to this story.
(Photo of Hill last season: Duane Burleson / Getty Images)