Jose Ruiz
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Position:
RHP
Born:
10/21/94
Height:
6'1"
Weight:
190
B/T:
R/R
Acquired:
Signed as an international free agent (Venezuela) on July 2, 2011.
Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
| 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA in 31 games at Lake Elsinore (High A), striking out 38 and walking 16 in 34 2/3 innings, while allowing 37 hits. |
Info & MLB Debut Date
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Recalled from Lake Elsinore on July 24, when SS Dusty Colema's contract was purchased from El Paso (Triple-A) and pitchers Brandon Maurer, Trevor Cahill and Ryan Buchter were all traded to the Royals. MLB Debut Date: 07/24/17 |
Debut Details
| July 24, in a 5-3 loss to the Mets. The last of two pitchers, he walked one and struck out one in one hitless inning of relief. Of 15 pitches thrown, eight were for strikes. Coming on to start the ninth in relief of left-handed starter Clayton Richard, he got Michael Conforto to pop up to shortstop. After issuing a walk to Asdrubel Cabrera, he struck out Yoenis Cespedes looking and then got Jay Bruce to ground out to second. |
Player Notes
| A catcher for the first five years of his pro career, the light-hitting Ruiz was moved from behind the plate to the mound starting in 2016 thanks to a strong and accurate arm (hey, it worked pretty well for right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen!). After hitting a combined .203 in 283 games as a catcher, he's posted a 3.83 ERA in 42 games in relief, striking out 52 and walking just 21 in 47 innings, allowing 40 hits for a .233 BAA. With a fastball in the mid-to-high 90s and a slider to offset the heat, he has clean arm action and no fear, though he's still working on polishing his command (not surprising giving how little time he's had on the bump). In 2016, his first season on the mound, he worked mostly in non-game situations, moving from the Rookie-level Arizona League to Tri-City (Short-Season A) to High A Lake Elsinore, compiling 11 appearances and allowing just three hits in 12 1/3 innings, striking out 14 while walking five and not allowing a run. While admittedly Ruiz might not have been at the top of the depth chart when it came to bringing up a pitcher, with three hurlers traded and none of the tradees in town yet, the Padres summoned a Triple-A shortstop (Dusty Coleman) and the closest usable arm available (Ruiz) and played the game with a 24-man active roster, the first time this season your humble scribe has encountered such a situation! |