He’s back. And just as good as ever. Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill made his 2025 debut Tuesday while taking the mound for the Kansas City Royals.
The left-hander went five innings, giving up three runs, but only one was earned. Hill gave up six hits and two walks while striking out one batter. He threw 90 pitches, 55 for strikes. But Hill ended up taking the loss, with the Chicago Cubs winning at home, 6-0.
“I’m absolutely grateful for the opportunity to be able to put on a uniform again,” Hill said, per MLB.com’s Joey Pollizze. “I’m just happy that it worked out.”
“That’s an honor for me,” catcher Freddy Fermin said of catching Hill, according to Pollizze. “Every year I learn something new, and today I learned about Hill. He’s got great pitches, and he’s really good.”
Tuesday’s appearance marked the beginning of Hill’s 21st season in the big leagues. According to ESPN, the southpaw tied Edwin Jackson for the most franchises played in MLB history at 14.
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He’s had four separate stints in Boston during his two-decade career, which has also seen him play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels.
Hill also became the first pitcher, 45 or older, to appear in a game since Bartolo Colon in 2018, according to ESPN research.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan reports Hill become the oldest player in Royals history, eclipsing Gaylord Perry for that honor.
Hill last pitched in the big leagues last year, making four appearances for the Red Sox and going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA.
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The lefty signed a minor-league contract with the Royals in May and had been working his way back into shape at Triple-A Omaha. He’s 4-4 with a 5.36 ERA in nine Triple-A starts.
“It’s easy to say that you love it, but when you know you have more to give, it’s tough to walk away,” Hill said, per Pollizze. “Going into this season, knowing that I wasn’t going to be participating in a Spring Training or getting ready for a Spring Training, working at home, and getting ready, knowing that there was something still in there.
“I didn’t want to ask, ‘what if.’ That was really the big thing this season, knowing there was something left and knowing that I could contribute to a ballclub,” Hill added.
Tuesday’s start in Chicago held special significance, since Hill made his MLB debut for the Cubs at Wrigley Field in 2005.
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