Kendall Graveman

The previous such play made by an Oakland pitcher was on July 11, 1971, by Blue Moon Odom, who happened to be in attendance at Angel Stadium and witnessed Graveman make the play.

After starting a couple of games after being activated, Graveman was placed again on the disabled list on May 29 due to shoulder soreness.

Kendall Chase Graveman (born December 21, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox.

Graveman played college baseball for Mississippi State University.

In 2010, his freshman year, Graveman was used primarily as a reliever and finished the season with a 2–4 record and a 7.02 ERA.

In 2011, he made 14 appearances (nine games started), compiling a 5–0 record and a 3.65 ERA.

In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and returned to the league in 2012 to play for the Wareham Gatemen.

In his senior year at MSU, he made 16 starts, including 10 against Southeastern Conference teams, and posted a 4–4 record with a 2.81 ERA and 59 strikeouts.

Graveman was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 36th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign with the team.

He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB draft, and played parts of two seasons in minor league baseball before being called up by the Blue Jays in 2014.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Graveman in the eighth round, with the 235th overall selection, in the 2013 MLB draft.

He received a signing bonus of $5,000, and was assigned to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts.

Graveman would pitch to a 1–3 record and a 4.31 ERA over 392⁄3 innings in 2013.

Graveman began the 2014 season with Lansing, but was promoted to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays after making four starts for the Lugnuts and posting a 2–0 record with a 0.34 ERA, including a near no-hitter over the Beloit Snappers.

In Dunedin, he compiled an 8–4 record in 16 starts, with a 2.23 ERA and 64 strikeouts.

Graveman was promoted to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and made just 1 start, a 6-inning win over the Binghamton Mets, before being promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

In his Triple-A debut, he took the loss, pitching 6 innings in a 2–1 loss to the Norfolk Tides.

Graveman would allow only 1 earned run in his following 3 starts, bringing his ERA to 1.04 through 26 innings with Buffalo.

He finished the 2014 minor league season with a 14–6 record over 1671⁄3 innings, with an ERA of 1.83, 115 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.03.

He also gave up only 2 home runs and issued 31 walks, for a BB/9 of 1.7.

On September 3, Graveman was named to Baseball America's First Team All-Stars for 2014.

On September 1, 2014, Graveman was called up to the Blue Jays as a part of the September roster expansion.

He made his MLB debut on September 5, against the Boston Red Sox.

Graveman made 5 total appearances for the Blue Jays in 2014, and posted a 3.86 ERA, 4 strikeouts, no walks, and a 0.86 WHIP in 42⁄3 innings pitched.

On November 28, 2014, Graveman was traded to the Oakland Athletics, along with Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto, for Josh Donaldson.

After opening the season as the fifth starter, Graveman was optioned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on April 26, 2015, after going 1–2 with an 8.27 ERA in 16.1 innings.

Graveman was called back up to the A's on May 23.

He finished his rookie season with a 6–9 record and 4.05 ERA in 21 starts.

On April 20, 2016, Graveman became the first pitcher to bat at the new Yankee Stadium and struck out after 3 pitches.

Graveman batted in the clean-up spot, and became the first pitcher to bat clean-up since Babe Ruth in.

Graveman became the A's only consistent starter for the 2016 season, notching 10 wins in 31 starts.

With Sonny Gray starting the 2017 season on the DL with a lat strain, Graveman was chosen to start on opening day, the first opening day start of his career.

He pitched six innings, struck out seven and took the win over the Los Angeles Angels.

On April 17, 2017, Graveman was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right shoulder strain.

His first game back with the A's, April 27, Graveman executed an unassisted double play.

On March 20, Graveman was announced as the 2018 opening day starter for the second consecutive year.

Working exclusively as a starting pitcher since his first full year in the major leagues, he became a relief pitcher in 2020 following a medical diagnosis of a benign bone tumor in his cervical spine.

Graveman attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he posted a 6–3 win–loss record with a 1.19 earned run average (ERA) and 90 strikeouts over 63 innings pitched in his senior year.

He enrolled at Mississippi State University and played college baseball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.