Jesús Rafael Tinoco (born April 30, 1995) is a Venezuelan

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, wh ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). He previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

, and Texas Rangers.

Career

Toronto Blue Jays

Tinoco signed with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

as an international free agent in September 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the DSL Blue Jays where he was 0-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 games (seven starts). He also played in two games for the

GCL Blue Jays The Florida Complex League Blue Jays are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. The team plays it ...

at the end of the season. In 2013, he played for the GCL Blue Jays where he compiled a 0-5 record and 5.09 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) and in 2014 he pitched with the

Bluefield Blue Jays The Bluefield Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. The team played their home games at Bowen Field at Peters Park, a histori ...

where he was 1-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 13 games (12 starts). Tinoco began 2015 with the

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Field. The Midwe ...

Colorado Rockies

On July 28, 2015, the Blue Jays traded him, along with José Reyes,

Miguel Castro Miguel Ángel Castro (born December 24, 1994) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Oriol ...

and

Jeff Hoffman Jeffrey Robert Hoffman (born January 8, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played for the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. Hoffman played college baseball at East Carolina University. Earl ...

to the

for

Troy Tulowitzki Troy Trevor Tulowitzki (born October 10, 1984), nicknamed "Tulo", is an American retired professional baseball shortstop, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Colorado Rockies. He also played for the Toronto B ...

and

LaTroy Hawkins LaTroy Hawkins (born December 21, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. In his 21-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Ro ...

. Colorado assigned him to the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differen ...

and he finished the season there. In 22 starts between the two teams, he pitched to a 7-6 record and 2.97 ERA. He spent 2016 with Asheville and the

Modesto Nuts The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the region. They play the ...

where he compiled a combined 3-11 record and 6.86 ERA in twenty starts and 2017 with the

Lancaster JetHawks The Lancaster JetHawks were a baseball team located in Lancaster, California. They were named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and played their home games at The Hangar. From 1996 to 2020, they were members of Minor League ...

where he posted an 11-4 record and 4.67 ERA in 24 starts. The Rockies added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. He spent 2018 with the

Hartford Yard Goats The Hartford Yard Goats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The Yard Goats, which play in the Eastern League, are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The team was founded in 2016 when the New Britain R ...

, going 9-12 with a 4.79 ERA in 26 starts. He began 2019 with the

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an el ...

. On May 31, 2019, he was called up to the major leagues for the first time. In the game that evening, he made his MLB debut pitching a scoreless ninth inning in a win over the Blue Jays, the team that had traded him.

Miami Marlins

On August 13, 2020, the Rockies traded Tinoco to the

in exchange for

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...

. Tinoco was designated for assignment by the Marlins on August 30.

Second stint with Rockies

On September 3, 2020, Tinoco was claimed off waivers by the Rockies. On November 20, 2020, Tinoco was designated for assignment. On July 28, 2021, Tinoco's contract was selected by the Rockies.

Texas Rangers

On December 3, 2021, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. On June 10, 2022, Texas selected Tinoco's contract as a COVID replacement player. He was returned to the minors on June 20. On October 4, 2022, he gave up a home run to

Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Judge was unanimously selected as the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017, and finishe ...

, his 62nd of the season to break the long-standing AL record previously held by

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

Saitama Seibu Lions

On December 16, 2022, Tinoco signed with the

. https://www.seibulions.jp/news/detail/00006340.html

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tinoco, Jesús Living people 1994 births People from Maturín Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball pitchers Colorado Rockies players Miami Marlins players Texas Rangers players Dominican Summer League Blue Jays players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Gulf Coast Blue Jays players Bluefield Blue Jays players Lansing Lugnuts players Asheville Tourists players Modesto Nuts players Lancaster JetHawks players Hartford Yard Goats players Albuquerque Isotopes players Round Rock Express players Salt River Rafters players Navegantes del Magallanes players