Dustin McGowan, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 3/24/1982
Birthplace: Savannah, Georgia

Dustin McGowan, relief pitcher, was first drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000. He pitched in the Blue Jays' minor league system from 2000 to 2004. He had Tommy John surgery in May, 2004.

McGowan pitched in 7 games as a starting pitcher and 6 games in relief with the Blue Jays in 2005. He finished the season with 1 win and 3 losses, 34 strikeouts to 17 walks, and a 6.35 ERA in 45.1 innings. The following season, he was primarily a relief pitcher for the Blue Jays, pitching in 16 games with them. He had a 7.24 ERA in 27.1 innings.

In 2007, McGowan joined the Blue Jays' starting rotation, pitching in 27 games. He finished the season with 12 wins and 10 losses, 144 strikeouts to 61 walks, and a 4.08 ERA in 169.2 innings. The following season, he had shoulder surgery that shortened his season. He had a 4.37 ERA in 111.1 innings in 19 games as a starter in 2008.

McGowan missed both the 2009 and 2010 seasons with injuries and surgeries. He spent most of the 2011 season on the DL, pitching in just 5 games. He had a 6.43 ERA in 21.0 innings.

In March, 2012, the Blue Jays signed McGowan to a two-year, $3 million contract extension. He spent much of the next two seasons on the DL. He missed the entire 2012 season with shoulder surgery and he pitched just 25.2 innings in 25 games in 2013. The following season, he had a 4.17 ERA in 82.0 innings in 8 games as a starter and 45 games as a reliever.

McGowan became a free agent on November 1, 2014. He signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 23, 2015, but they released him on March 31st. He then signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on April 4th, but they designated him for assignment on June 18th after pitching in 14 games with them. He also pitched in 31 games in the minors in 2015.

McGowan became a free agent again on October 14, 2015. A month and a half later, on December 1st, he signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. In 2016, he pitched in 55 games of relief with the Marlins. He finished the season with 1 win and 3 losses, 1 save, 63 strikeouts to 33 walks, and a 2.82 ERA in 67.0 innings.

After he became a free agent on November 3, 2016, the Marlins re-signed McGowan on December 12th. He finished the 2017 season with 8 wins and 2 losses, 64 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 4.75 ERA in 77.2 innings in 63 games.

McGowan elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on February 9, 2018, and he was released on March 7th. He signed with the Miami Marlins on April 6th, and he was released on May 16th. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2017.

Career pitching statistics for McGowan through 2017 include:

• 290 games played
• 650.1 innings pitched
• 35-34 win-loss record
• 540 strikeouts to 279 walks
• 4.50 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Dustin McGowan
ESPN - Dustin McGowan