Chandler Shepherd

James Chandler Shepherd (born August 25, 1992) is an American professional baseball relief pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for Baltimore in 2019.

Chandler Shepherd
Baltimore Orioles
Relief pitcher
Born: (1992-08-25) August 25, 1992
Louisa, Kentucky
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 13, 2019, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Win–loss record0–0
Earned run average6.63
Strikeouts17
Teams

College career

Shepherd attended Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Kentucky. He was a three-year player at the University of Kentucky from 2012 to 2014.[1] As a junior, Shepherd was sidelined by a forearm laceration that forced him to miss three weeks,[1] but he returned to a relief role in nine games, following with nine starts. He finished with a 3-1 record, a 3.83 earned run average and one save, winning Baseball America honors as the top prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League,[1] where he was also named pitcher of the year and made the PGCBL first team and the Perfect Game USA first team as a member of the Amsterdam Mohawks [1]

As a sophomore, he was dominant as a reliever, appearing in 26 games with one start, posting a 2.77 ERA and a 5-0 record over 55⅓ innings of work. He finished 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA over his last 11 appearances. After the 2013 season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and was named a league all-star.[2]

In his senior year, Shepherd rated among the 2014 Baseball America Preseason NCAA Top-100 Players (No. 70). He then made 16 pitching appearances, ending with a 5-5 record and a 3.66 ERA in 76⅓ innings, including nine starts and one saved game.[1]

Professional career

Boston Red Sox

Shepherd was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Kentucky.[3] Shepherd started his professional career in 2014 with the Class A Short Season Lowell Spinners, where he was 4–3 with a 4.05 ERA in 16 games, working mostly as a long reliever in 33⅓ innings.[3] He was promoted to the Class A Greenville Drive in 2015, and he excelled with a 3–0 record, a 1.23 ERA and one save in ​14 2⁄3 innings.[3] But Shepherd spent much of the year with the Class A-Advanced Salem Red Sox, posting an 0–2 record with a 3.61 ERA and six saves in 28 games, including a 6.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio (46-to-7) in ​52 1⁄3 innings.[3] Later in the year, he also pitched well in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions, appearing in 11 games, while going 1–1 with a 3.97 ERA and one save in ​11 1⁄3 innings. Overall, he went 4–3 with a 3.22 ERA and eight saves in ​78 1⁄3 innings to complete three different levels in his first full professional season.[3]

Shepherd opened 2016 with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, where he was 1–1 with a 1.80 ERA and seven saves in 14 appearances, including a 0.80 WHIP and .140 batting average against, while striking out 39 and walking 10 in 30 innings.[3] He then gained a promotion to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox in June.[4] From May 2 to June 29, he had a ​23 1⁄3 scoreless-inning streak between the two stints. Shepherd finished 2016 with a 2–3 record and a 2.81 ERA.[5]

With Pawtucket in 2017, Shepherd had a 1–5 record with 4.07 ERA in 34 appearances (one start) and ​59 2⁄3 innings pitched.[5] The Red Sox added Shepherd to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.[6] With Pawtucket during 2018, Shepherd appeared in 25 games (all starts), compiling a 7–10 record with 3.89 ERA and 107 strikeouts in ​129 2⁄3 innings pitched.[5]

Shepherd began the 2019 season with Pawtucket.[5] He was designated for assignment when Sandy León went on paternity leave and the Red Sox added Oscar Hernández to its roster on May 17.[7]

Chicago Cubs

He was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs and assigned to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies one day later on May 18, 2019. His time with the Cubs organization lasted only four days without playing for the Smokies because the Cubs' attempt to sneak him through waivers in order to transfer him off the 40-man roster was not successful.[8]

Baltimore Orioles

Shepherd's five-day odyssey ended when he was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles and optioned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on May 22, 2019.[9] After his first promotion to the majors on July 30 lasted only one day,[10][11] he returned to the Orioles on August 13 and made his MLB debut that night by allowing a run while pitching the last four innings in an 8–3 away loss to the New York Yankees.[12][13] After three starts in five appearances with a 6.63 ERA and 1.526 WHIP, he was outrighted off the Orioles' 40-man roster on September 30.[14]

References
  1. Chandler Shepherd College Career. University of Kentucky Website Retrieved on June 30, 2016.
  2. "#30 Chandler Shepherd - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. "Chandler Shepherd". Baseball Reference. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  4. Reliever Chandler Shepherd promoted to Pawtucket. MassLive.com. Retrieved on June 30, 2016.
  5. "Chandler Shepherd Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  6. Smith, Christopher (November 20, 2017). "Boston Red Sox 40-man roster: Jalen Beeks, Chandler Shepherd, Ty Buttrey added to roster, protected from Rule 5 Draft". masslive.com.
  7. Cotillo, Chris. "Boston Red Sox pitcher Chandler Shepherd claimed off waivers by Cubs," MassLive.com, Saturday, May 18, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  8. Yellon, Al. "Cubs lose Chandler Shepherd on waivers to Orioles," SB Nation (MSN.com), Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  9. Kubatko, Roch. "Orioles acquire Broxton and DFA Ramirez," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Wednesday, May 22, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  10. Kubatko, Roch. "Orioles and Padres lineups (Smith goes on injured list)," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Tuesday, July 30, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  11. Kubatko, Roch. "Orioles settle on minor league trade at deadline (updated again)," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  12. Kubatko, Roch. "Shepherd hoping for chance to pitch in return to Orioles," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Tuesday, August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019
  13. Kubatko, Roch. "What’s next for Chandler Shepherd?" Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019]
  14. Kubatko, Roch. "Orioles outright Shepherd to Triple-A Norfolk," Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Monday, September 30, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019]<


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