Daniel Ricardo Camarena (born November 9, 1992) is an American 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 ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for 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

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 ...

. He has previously 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

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

. He was drafted 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) Am ...

in the 20th round of the

2011 MLB draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the fi ...

. Listed at and , he throws and bats left-handed. Camarena spent a day on the Yankees' active roster in 2019, but did not appear in a game, earning him the distinction of being a "

phantom ballplayer A phantom ballplayer is either a baseball player who is incorrectly listed in source materials as playing in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game, often the result of typographical or clerical errors, or a player who spent time on an MLB Major Lea ...

". He remained a phantom ballplayer until he eventually made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2021. On July 8, 2021, he became the first

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 ...

to hit a

grand slam Grand Slam or Grand slam may refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category terminology originating in contract bridge and other whist card games Athletics * Grand Slam Track, professional track and field league Auto racing * ...

since 1985, and the first pitcher since 1898 to do so on his first

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 i ...

Playing career

New York Yankees

Camarena was drafted by the

in the 20th round, 629th overall, of the

2011 Major League Baseball draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the firs ...

out of

Cathedral Catholic High School Cathedral Catholic High School (CCHS) is a private coeducational Catholic college preparatory day school in San Diego, California, serving grades 9–12. It is operated by the Diocese of San Diego. In 1970, Cathedral Girls High School, a girl ...

. On August 16, 2011, Camarena signed with the Yankees over slot value, signing for $335K. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the rookie-level

Gulf Coast League Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

. In 2013, Camarena spent the year with the Single-A

Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Char ...

. In 25 appearances (21 starts) for the team, he compiled a 4-6 record and 4.42 ERA with 83 strikeouts over 112 innings of work. Camarena split the 2014 campaign between the High-A

Tampa Yankees Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough C ...

and Double-A

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

. In 26 starts for the two affiliates, he posted an aggregate 7-11 record and 3.40 ERA with 112 strikeouts across 143 innings pitched. Camarena missed the 2015 season after undergoing

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, ...

. He returned to action in 2016 with Tampa, Trenton, and the Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

. In 29 appearances (22 starts) split between the three affiliates, Camarena logged a combined 10-7 record and 3.68 ERA with 114 strikeouts across innings pitched. Camarena spent the 2017 season with Double–A Trenton and Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 22 starts between the two affiliates, he logged a 6–6 record and 3.65 ERA with 78 strikeouts across innings pitched. Camarena elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2017. On January 8, 2018, Camarena signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

. On April 2, he was traded back to the Yankees organization in exchange for future considerations. After posting a 5.08 ERA in 8 starts for Triple–A Scranton, Camarena was released on May 20.

San Francisco Giants

On May 24, 2018, Camarena signed a minor league contract with the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He spent the remainder of the season with the Triple–A

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

, also appearing in one game for the Double–A

Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...

. In 16 games (15 starts) for Sacramento, Camarena registered a 1–8 record and 5.65 ERA with 64 strikeouts across innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 2.

Minnesota Twins

On January 19, 2019, Camarena signed a minor league contract with the

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) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

. He made one appearances for the Triple–A

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

, allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts in innings pitched. Camarena was released by the Twins organization on April 29.

New York Yankees (second stint)

On May 8, 2019, Camarena signed a minor league contract to return to the

organization. On July 6, Camarena was selected to the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. However, he was optioned to Triple-A the next day without appearing in a game, becoming a

. In 17 games (16 starts) for Scranton, Camarena struggled to a 4–8 record and 6.27 ERA with 88 strikeouts across 99 innings of work. On August 13, he was released by the Yankees organization.

San Diego Padres

On February 13, 2020, Camarena signed a minor league contract with the

organization. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor 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 ...

. On July 19, 2020, Camarena was added to the Padres’ 60-man player pool for the pandemic-shortened season but spent the year at the alternate training site without making an MLB appearance. He was assigned to the Triple-A

El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team based in El Paso, Texas. The Chihuahuas compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) as the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Sou ...

to begin the 2021 season. Camerena was named the

Triple-A West The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Base ...

pitcher of the week for the week of June 7–13, 2021. On June 18, the Padres' added Camarena to their

taxi squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scout ...

. The next day, he was selected to the active roster. He made his MLB debut that day against 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 ...

, pitching innings and allowing 3 earned runs. In the game, he also notched his first career strikeout, punching out Reds infielder Mike Freeman. On July 8, 2021, Camarena hit a

off

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

pitcher

Max Scherzer Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984), nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tige ...

, sparking a comeback from an 8–0 deficit which resulted in a 9–8 victory for the Padres. This made Camarena the first MLB

to hit a grand slam since Don Robinson in 1985, and the first pitcher to hit a grand slam for his first career hit since

Bill Duggleby William James Duggleby (March 16, 1874 – August 30, 1944), nicknamed "Frosty Bill", was an American pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He played from 1898 to 1907. He also played two games for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1902 and nine gam ...

of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

in 1898, and the second Padres pitcher since

Mike Corkins Michael Patrick Corkins (May 25, 1946 – November 27, 2023) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. The right-hander was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1965 season, and later drafted by the San Di ...

who hit one off the Reds in 1970. Camarena would appear in 6 major league games for San Diego, posting a 9.64 ERA with 7 strikeouts. On October 30, Camarena was outrighted off of the 40-man roster and elected free agency on November 7. On January 26, 2022, Camarena re-signed with the Padres on a minor league contract. On April 7, Camarena was released by the Padres. Camarena re-signed with the Padres organization on a new minor league contract on April 14 before he was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 19 after undergoing

He became a free agent following the season on November 6. On December 29, 2023, Camarena re-signed with the Padres on a minor league contract. He split the 2024 campaign between the rookie-level

Arizona Complex League Padres The Arizona Complex League Padres or ACL Padres are a Minor League Baseball team based in Peoria, Arizona. The Padres compete in the Arizona Complex League as a rookie-level affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Peori ...

, Single-A

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team based in Lake Elsinore, California. The Storm compete in the California League as the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond, w ...

, High-A

Fort Wayne TinCaps The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Minor League Baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The TinCaps compete in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Parkview Field. The TinCaps won the ...

, San Antonio, and El Paso. In 32 appearances (9 starts) for the five affiliates, Camarena struggled to a combined 1-9 record and 7.74 ERA with 42 strikeouts across innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 4, 2024.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On June 1, 2025, Camarena came out of retirement to sign with the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (English: Two Laredos Owls), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (English: Nuevo Laredo Owls), are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The Tecolotes are a binational baseball team, spli ...

of the

. In five appearances (four starts) for Dos Laredos, he struggled to an 0-2 record and 9.45 ERA with nine strikeouts across innings pitched. Camarena was released by the Tecolotes on July 5.

Diablos Rojos del México

On July 9, 2025, Camarena signed with the

of the

Coaching career

On January 17, 2025, Camarena was hired by the

to serve as a pitching coach for their rookie-level affiliate, the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Camarena, Daniel 1992 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Arizona Complex League Padres players Baseball players from San Diego County, California Cathedral Catholic High School alumni Charleston RiverDogs players Diablos Rojos del México players El Paso Chihuahuas players Gulf Coast Yankees players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball pitchers People from Bonita, California Richmond Flying Squirrels players Rochester Red Wings players Sacramento River Cats players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Tampa Yankees players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Trenton Thunder players