Junior Fabio Fernández (born March 2, 1997) is a Dominican

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 ...

in 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 ...

organization. He has 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

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

Career

St. Louis Cardinals

Fernández signed with the

as an international free agent in July 2014. Fernández made his professional debut that year with the

Dominican Summer League Cardinals The Dominican Summer League Cardinals or DSL Cardinals are a rookie league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals based in the Dominican Republic. The team plays in the Boca Chica South division of the Dominican Summer League. History The team fi ...

, posting an 0-5 record and a 5.79 ERA over seven games (six starts). He spent 2015 with the

Gulf Coast Cardinals The Florida Complex League Cardinals are a Rookie-level affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Cardinals. The team plays i ...

, going 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 11 games (nine starts) and also appeared in two games with the

Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...

, giving up one run over innings. Fernández started 2016 with the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...

and was promoted to the

in July. He finished the 2016 season with a combined 8-7 record and 4.06 ERA in 24 games (20 starts) between both clubs. Fernández returned to Palm Beach for the 2017 season where he was named a

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

All-Star, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.69 ERA over 16 starts. He began 2018 back with Palm Beach and was promoted to the

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...

during the season. He missed over two months of the season due to injury, and was placed on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

twice. Over 24 relief appearances between the two teams, he went 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA. Fernández began the 2019 season with Palm Beach. He was promoted to Springfield in May, and he earned another promotion to the Triple-A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...

in June. In the more than 65 innings he pitched between the three teams for the season, he went 3-2 with a 1.52 ERA, striking out eighty. On August 6, 2019, the Cardinals selected Fernández's contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his debut on August 11 versus the

, allowing two runs in of an inning. Over 13 relief appearances with St. Louis, he pitched to a 5.40 ERA. Fernández began the 2020 season with St. Louis On August 4, 2020, it was announced that he had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, and was subsequently placed on the injured list. He pitched a total of three innings during the season. The following season, Fernández made 18 appearances for St. Louis, posting a 5.66 ERA with 15 strikeouts in innings pitched. He ended the year on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. In 13 appearances for the Cardinals in 2022, Fernández pitched well, posting a 2.93 ERA with 12 strikeouts in innings of work. On September 5, 2022, Fernández was designated for assignment.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On September 7, he was claimed off waivers by the

. On November 15, Fernández was designated for assignment.

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 18, 2022, Fernández was claimed off waivers by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. He was designated for assignment on December 21, 2022. Fernández was claimed off waivers by the

on January 5, 2023, On January 10, Fernández designated for assignment by the Blue Jays following the acquisition of Zach Thompson. On January 17, Fernández cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernández, Junior 1997 births Living people Baseball players from Santo Domingo Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball pitchers St. Louis Cardinals players Pittsburgh Pirates players Dominican Summer League Cardinals players Gulf Coast Cardinals players Peoria Chiefs players Palm Beach Cardinals players Springfield Cardinals players Memphis Redbirds players Águilas Cibaeñas players Indianapolis Indians players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players