Heath Hembree, Relief Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
Date of Birth: 1/13/1989
Birthplace: Spartanburg, South Carolina
College: University of South Carolina
Heath Hembree, relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, was first drafted in 2010 by the San Francisco Giants. After four and a half years with the Giants, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 26, 2014. He played in the minor leagues from 2010 through most of 2013 and 2014 and through half of 2015. In 242 games, he pitched 241.1 innings and he had a 4-15 record, 115 saves, and 293 strikeouts to 90 walks.
Hembree pitched 7.2 innings in nine games with the Giants in 2013. He also pitched in 54 games in the minors that year. He joined the Red Sox for just six games in 2014, again spending most of his time in the minors. In 2015, he split his time between the minors and the Red Sox, pitching 25.1 innings in 22 games with Boston. He finished with a 3.55 ERA.
In 2016, Hembree had a 2.65 ERA in 38 games with the Red Sox. He finished the season with 4 wins and 1 loss and 47 strikeouts to 17 walks in 51.0 innings. He didn't pitch in the postseason.
Hembree finished the 2017 season with 2 wins and 3 losses, 70 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 3.63 ERA in 62.0 innings in 62 games. He didn't pitch in the postseason.
Hembree pitched in 67 games with the Red Sox in 2018. He finished the season with 4 wins and 1 loss, 76 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 4.20 ERA in 60.0 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 4.2 innings in 4 games and he gave up no hits and no runs. He struck out 3 batters and walked 5.
Hembree spent time on the DL in 2019 with an elbow injury. He finished the season with 1 win and no losses, 2 saves, 46 strikeouts to 18 walks, and a 3.86 ERA in 39.2 innings in 45 games.
Hembree was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on August 21, 2020. He finished the season with 3 wins and no losses and a 9.00 ERA in 19.0 innings in 11 games with the Red Sox and 11 games with the Phillies.
Hembree elected free agency on October 30, 2020. He signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on February 3, 2021. He was released on March 20th. He signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds on March 22nd. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets on August 20th. He finished the 2021 season with 2 wins and 7 losses, 9 saves, 83 strikeouts to 24 walks, and a 5.59 ERA in 45 games with the Reds and 15 games with the Mets.
Hembree became a free agent on November 3, 2021. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 15, 2022. He was released on June 26th, and four days later, he signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He elected free agency on September 16th.
Hembree signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on January 19, 2023. He became a free agent again on April 28th. He signed a minor league contract with the Tigers on May 1st.
Career pitching statistics for Hembree through 2021 include:
- 331 games played
- 332.2 innings pitched
- 18-12 win-loss record
- 375 strikeouts to 128 walks
- 4.19 ERA
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Heath Hembree
Baseball Reference - Heath Hembree