Michel Báez – Wikipedia

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Cuban baseball player (born 1996)

Baseball player

Michel Báez Cruz (born January 21, 1996) is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization.

Báez played for the Vegueros de Pinar del Río and the Huracanes de Mayabeque of the Cuban National Series in 2014/2015. He signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in December 2016 for $3 million.[1][2]

Báez made his professional debut in 2017 with the Arizona League Padres, and after one start where he gave up two runs and struck out seven in five innings, was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps where he finished the season, starting ten games, compiling a 6–2 record and 2.45 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 58+2⁄3 innings pitched.[3][4][5]

Following the 2017 season, Báez was rated as the Midwest League’s No. 4 prospect according to Baseball America. He also earned Honorable Mention Starting Pitcher honors on the 2017 Yahoo Sports All-Minor League Team. Baez was ranked as the Padres’ No. 7 prospect according to MLB.com prior to the 2018 season.[6] He spent the 2018 season with both the Lake Elsinore Storm and the San Antonio Missions, going 4–10 with a 3.69 ERA in 21 total starts between both teams.[7]

Báez began 2019 with the Amarillo Sod Poodles,[8] going 3–2 with a 2.00 ERA over 27 innings. He was promoted to the major leagues on July 20, 2019.[9] He made his major league debut on July 23, pitching a scoreless inning of relief versus the New York Mets.[10] In 24 games for the Padres, Báez went 1–1 with a 3.03 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 29+2⁄3 innings. In 2020, Báez recorded a 7.71 ERA with 7 strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings of work across three games (1 start).[11]

On March 31, 2021, it was announced that Báez would require Tommy John surgery and miss the 2021 season.[12] On April 1, he was placed on the 60-day injured list.[13]

On June 6, 2022, Báez was activated off of the injured list and optioned to the Double-A San Antonio Missions.[14] Báez made two scoreless appearances for the Padres in 2022, spending the majority of the year in the minor leagues, where he recorded a 5-3 record and 4.91 ERA in 41 appearances.

Báez was optioned to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to begin the 2023 season.[15] He was designated for assignment on March 30 after Rougned Odor, David Dahl, and Domingo Tapia were added to the roster. [16] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to El Paso on April 3.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ESPN.com (December 19, 2016). “Padres sign Cuban RHP Michel Baez”. ESPN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  2. ^ Jesse Sanchez (December 19, 2016). “Padres agree with Cuban pitcher Michel Baez”. MLB.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  3. ^ [1][dead link]
  4. ^ Jeff Sanders (11 July 2017). “Michel Baez strong again for Fort Wayne”. The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  5. ^ “Michel Baez Stats, Highlights, Bio”. MiLB.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  6. ^ “2017 Midwest League Top 20 Prospects”. Baseball America. October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  7. ^ “Michel Baez Stats, Highlights, Bio”. MiLB.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  8. ^ RotoWire Staff (April 1, 2019). “Padres’ Michel Baez: Begins season on IL”. CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Ashley Varela (July 20, 2019). “Padres to promote Adrian Morejon”. NBC Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  10. ^ AJ Cassavell (July 23, 2019). “Fired-up Paddack hurt by long ball in loss”. MLB.com. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  11. ^ “Padres roster review: Michel Báez”. 31 December 2020.
  12. ^ “Michel Baez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery”.
  13. ^ “Major League Baseball Transactions”.
  14. ^ “Padres’ Michel Baez: Reinstated, optioned to Double-A”. cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  15. ^ “Padres’ Michel Baez: Optioned to minors”. cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  16. ^ https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/03/padres-select-rougned-odor-domingo-tapia.html
  17. ^ “Padres’ Michel Baez: Outrighted to Triple-A”. cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-04-03.

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