David Paulino
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Position:
RHP
Born:
2/6/1994
Height:
6'7 / 215
Weight:
215
B/T:
R/R
Acquired:
Via trade from the Tigers on September 13, 2013, as the PTBNL in the July deal for RHP Jose Veras (HOU). Originally signed as international free agent (Dominican Republic) November 20, 2010 (DET).
Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
| CURRENT SEASON STATS: 5-4 with a 2.00 ERA in 20 games between Gulf Coast League (Rookie), Corpus Christi (Double-A) and Fresno (Triple-A), striking out 106 and walking 19 in 90 innings while allowing 72 hits. |
Info & MLB Debut Date
|
Recalled from Fresno on September 6. MLB Debut Date: 9/8/2016 |
Debut Details
| September 8, in a 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Indians. The starting pitcher, he took the loss, allowing four runs, all earned, on four hits over three innings, walking two without striking out a batter. He hit one batter and, according to the official box score, threw two wild pitches, though the second one was extremely controversial. In the bottom of the first, he allowed a double to right field to the first batter he faced, Carlos Santana, before retiring the next three batters, Jason Kipnis on a fly out to center, Francisco Lindor on an unassisted grounder to first and Mike Napoli on a fly ball to center. In the second, Jose Ramirez led off with a line out to center. Lonnie Chisenhall singled to left but was erased when Abraham Almonte grounded into an inning-ending double play. In the third, though, things got interesting. Tyler Naquin led off by drawing a walk and, after Chris Gimenez flew out to center, stole second. Naquin moved to third on Santana’s groundout to second and scored the Indians’ first run on Kipnis’ double to center. Lindor followed with an RBI single to center to bring home Kipnis, after which Paulino hit Napoli with a pitch. A wild pitch while Ramirez was at-bat advanced the runners to second and third, and Ramirez drew the walk to load the bases with two outs, bringing up Chisenhall. What appeared to everyone (including reporters covering the game) except, apparently, the home plate umpire to be a foul ball off Chisenhall’s bat got away and was ruled a wild pitch, allowing both Lindor and Napoli to score and causing the ejection of an irate Astros manager, A.J. Hinch. Chisenhall lined out to second for the final out. |
Player Notes
| Well, Paulino’s debut was nothing if not eventful. The big, hard-throwing right-hander brings a career 2.20 ERA into his big league debut, as he brings a combination of heat and a plus curveball to the mound. His career has been interrupted a few times by injuries – a sore elbow in 2012 and, finally, Tommy John surgery in 2014 – as well as a 2016 mid-season suspension for undisclosed rules violations (which the Astros confirmed were nothing very serious). In 2015, he combined to go 5-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 13 games, 12 of them starts, between Tri-City (Short-Season A), Quad Cities (Class A) and Lancaster (High A), striking out 72 and walking just 19 in 67.1 IP while allowing 49 hits. His time before that was minimal due to the injuries, as he did not pitch at all in 2014, and made just four starts for the Tigers in 2013, pitching 20 innings for their Rookie-level Gulf Coast League club and four innings the years before that, also in the GCL. Still just 22 years old, the lost time can easily be made up and his potential is huge. |
2080 Notes
| You can check out this video of Paulino pitching during extended spring training earlier this year. |