Roberto Hernandez, Pitcher

Date of Birth: 8/30/1980
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Roberto Hernandez, pitcher, started his professional baseball career under a falsified name. He used the name Fausto Carmona and lied about his age to get a visa to the US. The Cleveland Indians, not knowing about the falsification, signed him as Carmona in December, 2000.

Hernandez played in the Indians' minor league system from 2002 through 2005. He joined the team as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher in 2006, pitching in 38 games. He finished the season with a 5.42 ERA and a 1-10 record.

Hernandez had his best season in 2007 when he joined the Indians' starting rotation. That season he pitched a career high 215.0 innings in 32 games. He finished with a career high 19 wins (to 8 losses), a career high 137 strikeouts (to 61 walks), and a career low ERA of 3.06. As a reward for his strong 2007 season, the Indians gave him a four-year, $15 million contract in April, 2008.

The 2008 season turned out to be only a fair one for Hernandez. He spent time on the DL and pitched in just 22 games with the Indians. He finished with an 8-7 record and a 5.44 ERA. The following season was even worse, with a 5-12 record and a 6.32 ERA in 24 games.

Hernandez missed all but three games of the 2012 season after being arrested for having falsified his visa papers in 2000. He didn't get a valid visa until July 16, 2012, and then he was suspended for most of the rest of the season.

In December, 2012, Hernandez signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched in 32 games in 2013 and finished with a 6-13 record and a 4.89 ERA.

Hernandez signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in December, 2013. After 23 games with the Phillies in 2014, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the 2014 season with an 8-11 record and a 4.10 ERA in 32 games.

On February 12, 2015, Hernandez signed with the Houston Astros. He pitched as both a starter and a reliever for the Astros in 2015. He finished the season with a 3-5 record, 42 strikeouts to 26 walks, and a 4.36 ERA in 84.2 innings in 20 games. He was released on August 9th.

Hernandez signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays on December 18, 2015. They released him on March 29, 2016, and re-signed him on April 27th. After being released from a minor league team (Buffalo Bisons) on July 3rd, he signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves on July 15th. He spent most of the 2016 season in the minors, pitching just 9.0 innings in 2 games with the Braves.

Hernandez became a free agent on October 4, 2016. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2016.

Career pitching statistics for Hernandez through 2016 include:

• 270 games played
• 1,358.1 innings pitched
• 71-99 win-loss record
• 833 strikeouts to 505 walks
• 4.60 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Roberto Hernandez
ESPN - Roberto Hernandez