Michael Pineda

Michael Francisco Pineda Paulino (born January 18, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.

He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers.

Pineda signed as an international free agent with the Mariners in 2005, and made his MLB debut for the Mariners in 2011.

In his rookie season he was named an All-Star and finished fifth in balloting for American League Rookie of the Year.

After his rookie season, he was traded to the Yankees.

Pineda signed with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) at age 16 on December 12, 2005.

He received a $35,000 signing bonus.

Pineda made his professional debut with the Mariners of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League (DSL) in 2006, pitching to a 2–1 win–loss record with a 0.44 earned run average (ERA), allowing only one earned run all season.

In 2007, he had a 6–1 record with a 2.29 ERA in regular action for the DSL Mariners.

Pineda pitched for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class-A Midwest League in 2008 and had an 8–6 record with a 1.95 ERA.

Opponents had a batting average of .216 against Pineda.

He led the Seattle farm system in ERA, opponent average and strikeouts (128).

Baseball America rated Pineda as the Mariners' tenth best prospect while the Mariners organization named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Wisconsin pitching coach Jaime Navarro became Pineda's mentor.

Pineda battled injuries during the 2009 season, missing most of the year due to elbow strain.

He was 4–2 with a 2.84 ERA for the High Desert Mavericks of the Class A-Advanced California League while healthy and threw three shutout innings for the Mariners of the Rookie-level Arizona League.

He struck out 52 in 47 1⁄3 innings pitched (IP) for the year.

Before the 2010 season, Baseball America ranked Pineda as the Mariners' sixth best prospect.

Back in good health in 2010, Pineda was 8–1 with a 2.22 ERA for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Class-AA Southern League with 78 strikeouts and 17 walks in 77 IP and 3–3 with a 4.76 ERA for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class-AAA Pacific Coast League with 76 strikeouts and 17 walks in 62 1⁄3 IP.

The Mariners front office ended his season when he reached 140 IP as a precaution against injury.

The Mariners again named Pineda their Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, and he was a finalist for the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year.

Baseball America rated Pineda as the second best prospect in the Mariners' system before the 2011 season.

Baseball America also rated him the sixteenth best prospect in all of baseball.

Pineda made the Mariners' starting rotation out of spring training 2011 as the number five starter, the third youngest player on a 2011 American League opening day roster after Chris Sale and Tim Collins.

He made his MLB debut on April 5, giving up three runs in six innings in a loss.

Pineda pitched 7 1⁄3 innings, allowed two runs, struck out seven batters, and earned his first MLB win on April 12, 2011.

Pineda struck out a career high nine batters against the Detroit Tigers on April 28, including the first four batters he faced.

He ended his first month in the majors with a 4–1 record and a 2.01 ERA.

He was named American League Rookie of the Month for April 2011, pitching at least six innings in his first five starts, giving up only 22 hits and 12 walks over 31 1⁄3 innings, while striking out 30 opposing batters.

Pineda was selected to the All-Star Game on July 10 as a replacement for Justin Verlander, who was ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game due to having pitched the day before the All-Star break.

He was 8–6 at that point, but with a 3.03 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 113 innings, against only 36 walks.

In the All-Star Game, Pineda pitched one perfect inning, striking out Scott Rolen and Rickie Weeks.

Pineda finished the 2011 season with a 9–10 record and a 3.74 ERA.

He recorded no wins in his final seven starts over the last two months of the year, and the Mariners cut back on his work load as a precaution against an arm injury.

He missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to a series of shoulder injuries.

Pineda's 2017 season ended when he underwent Tommy John surgery, which kept him out for the entire 2018 season.

He returned to MLB with the Twins in 2019 and signed with Detroit for the 2022 season.

Pineda grew up in Yaguate, Dominican Republic.

His father is a welder and his mother is a hair stylist.

Pineda is the oldest of five children.