Jose Rafael "Jumbo" Diaz (born February 27, 1984) is a Dominican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

and

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2014. Diaz is nicknamed "Jumbo" for his large size; MLB.com lists him at and .

Professional career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Díaz was signed by 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

in 2001 and began his career the next season, appearing with the

GCL Dodgers The Arizona Complex League Dodgers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. The team is compo ...

, South Georgia Waves and

Great Falls Dodgers Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

and going 5–3 with a 2.82 ERA in 16 games (12 starts). He saw limited action in 2003 with the

Ogden Raptors The Ogden Raptors are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Ogden, Utah and play their home games at Lindquist Field. Pitch ...

and South Georgia, going 0–1 with a 6.62 ERA in seven games. He pitched for the Columbus Catfish and

Vero Beach Dodgers Vero may refer to: Geography * Vero Beach, Florida, a city in the United States * Vero, Corse-du-Sud, a commune of France in Corsica Other * ''Véro'', a talk show on the Radio-Canada television network * Vero (app), a social media company co-found ...

in 2004 and went 1–5 with 20 saves and a 2.00 ERA in 37 games. He saw limited action in 2005, 2006 and 2007, appearing in a total of 36 games. Díaz had

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery 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 body, ...

and missed all of the 2008 season.

Texas Rangers

Díaz signed with the Texas Rangers for 2009 and was 3–1 with 10 saves and a 3.63 ERA in 36 games for the

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. Based in Frisco, Texas, the team is named aft ...

. Following the season, the Rangers released him and he signed with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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) East Division. As one of the America ...

, going 4–0 with 16 saves and a 1.92 ERA in 45 games. Díaz had 23 saves and a 2.62 ERA in 2011.

Pittsburgh Pirates

He then signed with the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

for 2012 and went 1–2 with 3 saves and a 3.60 ERA in 41 games for the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

. On April 29, he teamed with Justin Wilson and Doug Slaten on a no-hitter against the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

Cincinnati Reds

Díaz pitched in the

system in 2013, going 3–4 with 13 saves and a 1.66 ERA for the

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

– he had a 1.03 WHIP and struck out 60 in 54.1 innings. By the end of the 2013 campaign, Díaz weighed nearly ; he shed prior to the 2014 season. Díaz began 2014 with Louisville. The Reds selected Díaz's contract from Louisville on June 20, and he entered that night's game against 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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

in the seventh inning, allowing three runs in one inning. On June 24, he recorded his first MLB strikeout in Chicago against the Cubs. He finished the 2014 season with a 3.38

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 34.2 innings pitched. Díaz earned his first MLB save on September 15, 2015.

Tampa Bay Rays

On March 10, 2017, the

claimed Díaz off waivers. He was designated for assignment on July 16. On July 19, Díaz was assigned outright to the Triple-A

, but he elected free agency on July 21.

Houston Astros

On July 31, 2017, Díaz signed a minor league contract with the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

organization. In 12 games for the Triple–A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

, Díaz posted a 2.92 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 3 saves in innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Miami Marlins

On January 12, 2018, Díaz signed a minor league contract with the

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...

. In 38 appearances split between the rookie–level

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

and Triple–A

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...

, he accumulated a 6–6 record and 2.18 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 12 saves. Díaz elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Toros de Tijuana

On February 16, 2019, Díaz signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 58 appearances for the Toros, he logged a 2–6 record and 3.86 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 7 saves over 56 innings pitched. Díaz became a free agent following the season.

Diablos Rojos del México

On December 19, 2019, Díaz signed with the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their ho ...

of the

. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In 2021, Díaz made 21 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 2–0 record with a 1.89 ERA and 16 strikeouts. In 24 relief appearances in 2022, he struggled to a 1–2 record with a 8.20 ERA and 22 strikeouts.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

On June 21, 2022, Díaz was traded to the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

. In 8 relief appearances, he posted a 0–2 record with a 12.86 ERA and 4 strikeouts. Díaz was released by Oaxaca on July 7.

International career

After the 2020 season, Díaz played for

Águilas Cibaeñas The Águilas Cibaeñas (; ''Cibaoan Eagles'') is a professional baseball team in the Dominican Republic's Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), based in Santiago in the northern region of Cibao. Founded in , the team has won six Caribbean Series ...

of the

Dominican Professional Baseball League The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League ( or LIDOM) is a professional baseball winter league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the highest level of professional baseball played in the Dominican Repub ...

(LIDOM). He has also played for Dominican Republic in the 2021 Caribbean Series and the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

Coaching career

On January 22, 2025, the

hired Díaz to serve as an assistant pitching coach for their rookie-level affiliate, the Dominican Summer League Rays.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Jumbo 1984 births Living people Azucareros del Este players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in baseball Olympic bronze medalists for the Dominican Republic Bowie Baysox players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Cincinnati Reds players Columbus Catfish players Diablos Rojos del México players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Frederick Keys players Fresno Grizzlies players Frisco RoughRiders players Great Falls Dodgers players Great Lakes Loons players Guerreros de Oaxaca players Gulf Coast Dodgers players Indianapolis Indians players Jacksonville Suns players Leones del Caracas players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Mexican League baseball pitchers New Orleans Baby Cakes players Norfolk Tides players Ogden Raptors players South Georgia Waves players Tampa Bay Rays players Tomateros de Culiacán players Toros de Tijuana players Toros del Este players Vero Beach Dodgers players World Baseball Classic players of the Dominican Republic 2017 World Baseball Classic players Olympic baseball players for the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela