Eddie Gamboa

Position: RHP
Born: 12/21/1984
Height: 6'1
Weight: 215
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as a minor league free agent on January 19, 2016 (TAM). Originally drafted in the 21st round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft (BAL).

Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
CURRENT SEASON STATS: 6-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 27 games, 12 of them starts, at Durham (Triple-A), striking out 89 while walking 39 in 94 innings and allowing 65 hits.

Info & MLB Debut Date
Contract purchased from Durham on September 1.
MLB Debut Date: 9/2/2016

Debut Details
September 2, in an 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The fourth of six pitchers on the night, he tossed one-third of an inning, allowing one run on one hit and walking two while striking out one. Coming on to start the eighth inning in relief of Kevin Jepsen, he gave up a single to right field to the first batter he faced, Josh Donaldson. Edwin Encarnacion then drew a walk before Gamboa got his first out with a swinging strikeout of Michael Saunders. He then walked Russell Martin to load the bases with one out, prompting Rays manager Kevin Cash to bring in reliever Brad Boxberger. Boxberger got Troy Tulowitzki to ground out to third base, but Donaldson did score on the play.

Player Notes
Who doesn’t love it when a member of the 30-plus crowd makes his big league debut? If you don’t, don’t admit it to me. At 31, the knuckleballing Gamboa becomes the second-oldest player to make his MLB debut with the Rays since the legendary Jim Morris. (Maybe you remember him. They made a movie called “The Rookie” about him.) Catcher Luke Maile needed a little time to get used to Gamboa’s VERY lively pitches (the first two went right to the backstop), pitches honed this year under the tutelage of Rays minor league pitching coordinator Charlie Haeger, himself a former knuckleball pitcher in the big leagues. In his eight pro seasons prior to this, all spent with the Orioles, Gamboa had come close once before, being called up to Baltimore for a few days in early 2015 before being sent back down without getting into a game. In 2015, he had a little bit of a learning curve on the control front, going 8-11 with a 4.61 ERA in 26 games, 19 of them starts, and walking 84 while striking out 79 in 113.1 IP at Norfolk.