Former Padres Pitcher Claimed Off Waivers By AL Central Team

Jeremy Hanna | Aug 18, 2024

July 5, 2024; San Diego, California, USA;San Diego Padres relief pitcher Enyel De Los Santos (62) looks skyward after pitching during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-USA TODAY Sports / Denis Poroy-USA TODAY Sports

An MLB journeyman who spent two stints with the San Diego Padres has found yet another team to join this season.

According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, Enyel De Los Santos, a right-handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic, is joining the Chicago White Sox after they picked him up off waivers. This will be his third team this season.

De Los Santos began the season with the Padres, where he compiled a 4.46 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 44 appearances. He was then traded to the New York Yankees alongside prospective pitcher Thomas Balboni Jr. for outfield prospect Brandon Lockridge.

Unfortunately, De Los Santos struggled in New York. In five games, De Los Santos reached a 14.21 ERA with 5 strikeouts across 6.1 innings.

Fortunately, this slump does not represent De Los Santos' entire career. Originally acquired as an international free agent by the Seattle Mariners in 2014, De Los Santos would remain in the minors for four years while being traded to the Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies.

De Los Santos would make his major league debut on July 10, 2018. He would play a single game that season before being sent back to the minors. He would make sporadic appearances for the Phillies until they designated him for assignment in 2021.

Soon afterward, De Los Santos was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In seven games, he recorded a 4.91 ERA with six strikeouts over 7.1 innings. After the Pirates outrighted De Los Santos to Triple-A, he refused the assignment and elected free agency.

De Los Santos then signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians in 2021. He started the 2022 season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers before signing a contract as a COVID-19 replacement player. He would continue to play with the Guardians through 2023.

On Sept. 27, 2022, De Los Santos made history by pitching an immaculate inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He is one of 104 pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball to accomplish this feat.

In two seasons with the Guardians, De Los Santos maintained a 10-2 win-loss record with a 3.18 ERA and 123 strikeouts. Across his six-year career, the former Padres pitcher has maintained a 4.52 ERA with 248 strikeouts across 231 innings.

While De Los Santos has never been the greatest pitcher, he has maintained a consistency that has made him a necessary tool for multiple clubs. Hopefully, he has found a permanent home in Chicago.

More Padres: San Diego Ace Breaks Pitching World Record in Support of Challenged Athletes Foundation