Luis Ignacio Ayala Hernández (born January 12, 1978) is a Mexican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

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 ...

. He 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), ...

for the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

Florida 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 ...

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 ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

, and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. He is and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed.

Career

Saraperos de Saltillo

In , as a 19-year-old, Ayala started playing in the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

as a

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

. He spent five years with the

Saraperos de Saltillo The Saraperos de Saltillo (English: Saltillo Serape Wearers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. They have won three championships (198 ...

, where he was 10–3 with a 2.92

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA). in 65 games. He was signed as an undrafted

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by 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 ...

in 1999 and spent time with their A ball team before the Rockies sold him back to Saltillo in 2001..

Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals

In 2002, he was purchased from Saltillo by the

. He played with the AAA

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal ...

in 2002. At the end of the season, he was signed by the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

, but two months later returned to the Expos as a Rule 5 pick. Ayala made his major league debut on March 31, 2003 for the Expos against the

, working two innings of relief and allowing one run and four hits. His 10 relief wins that season were tied for 2nd most in MLB. Ayala pitched well for the Expos/ Nationals from through . Over the three years, he averaged 70 appearances per year, and compiled an ERA of 2.75, and led the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

with 62

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s. In he ranked eighth in appearances with 81. Ayala injured his elbow on the last pitch of a 2006 World Baseball Classic game. As a result, he underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

on March 30, and was knocked out for the entire 2006 season. Ayala began the season on the 60-day

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 ...

due to still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he previously had. After working eight rehab games in the minors, in which he allowed one run in 9-2/3 innings, on June 20, he was called up to the majors. He made his return with the Nationals on June 22, 2007, pitching 2/3 of an inning and giving up no runs and only one

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

. For the season, he went 2–2 with 6 holds, one save, and a 3.19 ERA in 44 appearances. In 2008, Ayala pitched in 62 games for the Nationals, going 1–8 with a 5.77 ERA.

New York Mets

On August 17, , Ayala was traded to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. Ayala had requested the trade weeks earlier because he wanted a change of scenery, due to personal problems. The Mets sent

Anderson Hernández Anderson Hernández Mejia (born October 30, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros as well as for ...

to the Nats to complete the deal. On August 22, 2008, Ayala recorded his first save as a Met in a 3-0 victory over the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

. In 19 games for the Mets, Ayala had a 5.50 ERA.

Minnesota Twins

On February 18, , Ayala signed a one-year deal with the

. On June 22, Ayala was designated for assignment, and was released on July 2. According to Twins manager

Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...

, Ayala was released because he was unhappy with his role on the team. Gardenhire said of Ayala: "When you walk into my office and tell me you don't like your role, and he talked about his contract for next year, you lose me right there. I don't deal with that. We're talking about winning now. That's why he's out the door and another guy's in there to pitch. And it's not because he's a bad guy. His theories are a little different."

Florida Marlins

On July 3, 2009, he signed a minor league deal with the

. He was added to the major league roster on July 12. Ayala was designated for assignment on August 31. In 10 appearances, Ayala went 0–3 with an 11.74 ERA. After being DFA, Ayala said of the Marlins: "It was terrible what they did. I don't know why they called me up if they were going to do this. I think it's a lack of respect. I know it's a business, but for me, it's something they've handled poorly."

Los Angeles Dodgers

Ayala signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

on December 16, 2009. He was assigned to the Triple-A

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 ...

to start the season. He pitched in 14 games for the Isotopes, mostly as a closer. He was 1–3 with a 4.50 ERA and four saves. He was released by the Dodgers on May 17 after he exercised an opt-out clause in his contract.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On May 20, 2010, Ayala signed a minor league contract with the

. On July 16, 2010, Ayala was released by the Diamondbacks organization.

Colorado Rockies

On August 27, 2010, Ayala signed a minor league contract with the

. On November 22, 2010, Ayala became a minor league free agent.

New York Yankees

On February 9, 2011, Ayala signed a minor league contract with the

. On March 30 it was announced that Ayala had been added to the opening day roster.

Baltimore Orioles

On February 10, 2012, he signed a one-year major league deal with the

. On October 29, the Orioles announced they intended to exercise their club option on Ayala worth $1 million. Ayala would've earned $1 million from the buyout had the Orioles not exercised the option.

Atlanta Braves

On April 10, 2013, Ayala was traded to the

for minor league prospect Chris Jones.

Second Stint with Nationals

On February 7, 2014, Ayala signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals.

Second Stint with Orioles

The Nationals granted him his release on March 19, and he re-signed with the Orioles on March 20.

Toronto Blue Jays

He later exercised an opt out in his contract with the Orioles and signed a minor-league contract 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 ...

on June 6, 2014. He was activated by 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 ...

on June 8, and released on July 4.

Olmecas de Tabasco

On July 19, 2014, Ayala signed with the

Olmecas de Tabasco The Olmecas de Tabasco (English: Tabasco Olmecs) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Centenario 27 de Febrero. The Olmecas won their only Mexican Leag ...

of the

Diablos Rojos del Mexico

On June 30, 2016, Ayala signed with the

Diablos Rojos del Mexico The Diablos Motorcycle Club, or Diablos MC for short, is a " one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club that has chapters in cities across the United States. John E. Irvin, president of the Diablos' San Fernando Valley chapter, and Thomas E. Pastor, ...

of the

. He elected free agency on April 17, 2017.

Saraperos de Saltillo

On June 4, 2017, Ayala signed with the

of the

. He was released on January 18, 2018.

Bravos de León

On March 22, 2018, Ayala signed with the

Bravos de León The Bravos de León (English: León Braves) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. History Cachorros de León (1979–80) Mexican League baseball in León began in 1979 when the Alijador ...

of the

. He was released on April 20, 2018.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayala, Luis 1978 births 2006 World Baseball Classic players 2009 World Baseball Classic players Águilas de Mexicali players Albuquerque Isotopes players Atlanta Braves players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Sinaloa Bravos de León players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Columbus Clippers players Diablos Rojos del México players Florida Marlins players Gulf Coast Expos players Gwinnett Braves players Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Mexico Mexican expatriate baseball players in Canada Mexican expatriate baseball players in the United States Mexican League baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Mississippi Braves players Montreal Expos players New Orleans Zephyrs players New York Mets players New York Yankees players Olmecas de Tabasco players Ottawa Lynx players Potomac Nationals players Reno Aces players Salem Avalanche players Saraperos de Saltillo players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Sportspeople from Los Mochis Tomateros de Culiacán players Washington Nationals players Yaquis de Obregón players