Ruben Tejada, Shortstop


Date of Birth: 10/27/1989
Birthplace: Veraguas, Panama

Ruben Tejada, shortstop, was signed by the New York Mets in 2006. He started in the minor leagues the following year. He made his first major league start in 2010, when he played in 78 games with the Mets.

In 2010 and 2011, Tejada was a part-time utility infielder for the Mets, playing 105 games at second base and 69 games at shortstop. He became the regular shortstop in 2012. That season, he batted .289 with 134 hits and 26 doubles in 114 games.

Tejada suffered from injuries in 2013 and he spent time in the minor leagues, playing in just 57 games with the Mets. He played 55 games at shortstop. He finished the 2014 season with 84 hits and a .237 batting average in 119 games.

Tejada played in 116 games with the Mets in 2015. He finished the season with 94 hits, 23 doubles, and a .261 batting average. As the Mets' shortstop in 81 games, he made 189 assists, 36 double plays, 78 putouts, and 5 errors. In postseason play, he had no hits and 5 strikeouts and 1 walk in 5 at-bats in 2 games.

Tejada was released by the Mets on March 16, 2016. He signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on March 19th. The Cardinals designated him for assignment on May 28th and released him on June 1st. He signed with the San Francisco Giants on June 17, 2016. The Giants designated him for assignment on July 20, 2016. He finished the season with a .167 batting average in 23 games with the Cardinals and 13 games with the Giants.

Tejada signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on December 12, 2016. He was traded to the Orioles on June 4, 2017. He split his time in 2017 between the minor leagues and the majors. In 41 games with the Orioles, he batted .230.

Tejada became a free agent on October 3, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Orioles on November 28th. He spent the 2018 season in the minor leagues.

Tejada elected free agency on November 2, 2018. He returned to the Mets on a minor league contract on March 22, 2019. He spent most of the 2019 season in the minors, playing in just 6 games with the Mets.

Tejada became a free agent on November 4, 2019. He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on January 20, 2020. He was released on August 31st. He didn't play professional baseball in 2020.

Tejada signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on May 5, 2021. The Phillies released him on August 25th, and the Chicago White Sox signed him to a minor league contract on September 5th. He played 80 games in the minors in 2021.

Tejada became a free agent on November 7, 2021.

Career batting statistics for Tejada through 2019 include:

  • 663 games played
  • 530 hits
  • 110 doubles
  • 158 RBIs
  • 359 strikeouts to 202 walks
  • .250 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Tejada at shortstop through 2019 include:

  • 476 games played
  • 1,272 assists
  • 278 double plays
  • 586 putouts
  • 47 errors
  • .975 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Ruben Tejada
ESPN - Ruben Tejada