Giovanny Urshela Salcedo (born October 11, 1991) is a Colombian 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 ...

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

for the

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

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). He has previously played in MLB for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

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

. Urshela made his MLB debut in 2015 with Cleveland.

Career

Cleveland Indians

Urshela signed with the

as an international free agent in July 2008. He made his professional debut in 2009, playing for the Dominican Summer League Indians and the Arizona League Indians. Urshela started the 2014 season with Akron and was promoted to the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

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

during the season. After the 2014 season, the Indians added Urshela to their

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 ...

. He was named the Indians' fourth best prospect by MLB.com in 2015. Urshela began the 2015 season with Columbus. He was called up to the major leagues on June 8, 2015. He got his first major league hit, a single, and first major league home run in the same game against the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

on June 11, 2015. He spent the entire 2016 season playing with Columbus and in the offseason he played winter baseball in the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

for Águilas del Zulia alongside future Yankees teammate

Mike Tauchman Michael Robert Tauchman (born December 3, 1990) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, San Francisco G ...

. Urshela batted .224 in 67 major league games for Cleveland in 2017. He opened the 2018 season on the disabled list. After completing his rehab assignment in the minors, Urshela was designated for assignment on May 4. He had batted .225 in 453

plate appearance In baseball, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner. This ha ...

s for Cleveland.

Toronto Blue Jays

On May 9, 2018, Cleveland traded Urshela to the

for cash considerations or a player to be named later. Urshela batted .233 with one home run and three

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs) in 19 games for Toronto, before he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on June 26. He cleared waivers and was assigned 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 ...

on July 3. He batted .244 in 91 plate appearances for the Bisons.

New York Yankees

On August 4, 2018, the Blue Jays traded Urshela to the

in exchange for cash considerations. The Yankees assigned him to the

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 ...

. He worked with Phil Plantier, the RailRiders'

hitting coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisi ...

, to make changes to his batting stance. Urshela batted .307 in 107 plate appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees selected Urshela's contract on April 6, 2019, after Miguel Andújar, the Yankees' starting third baseman tore his right shoulder labrum. Urshela began the season hitting 25-for-71 (.352), and continued to play for the Yankees when Andújar returned briefly in May, though Andújar soon opted to have season-ending surgery. Urshela opened the 2020 season as the Yankees' starting third baseman. He played in 43 of the team's 60 games, missing time with a groin injury in late August. He batted .298/.368/.490 with 6 home runs and 30 RBIs, and led all qualifying third basemen with a .992 fielding percentage. On September 30, in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, Urshela became the first Yankees third baseman to hit a postseason grand slam doing so against his former team, the Cleveland Indians. This also helped the Yankees sweep the Indians in the best-of-three Wild Card Series. The Yankees went on to lose in the

Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series ...

to the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.

Minnesota Twins

On March 13, 2022, the Yankees traded Urshela and Gary Sánchez to the

in exchange for

Josh Donaldson Joshua Adam Donaldson (born December 8, 1985) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. In his 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves ...

, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and

Ben Rortvedt Benjamin Thomas Rortvedt (born September 25, 1997) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. He made his ...

. In 2022 he batted .285/.338/.429. He was picked off at second base twice, leading the majors. In October 2022, it was announced that Urshela would spend the 2022 offseason playing with his hometown

Tigres de Cartagena The Tigres de Cartagena (''Cartagena Tigers'') are a baseball team in the Colombian Professional Baseball League (LPB), playing in the Caribbean city of Cartagena de Indias. The team was founded in 1996 and plays at the Estadio Once de Noviembre ...

of the

Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseason. In the past, the league's champion has taken part in ...

Los Angeles Angels

On November 18, 2022, Urshela was traded from the Twins to the

for minor league pitcher Alejandro Hidalgo. The Angels began the 2023 season with Urshela as their regular shortstop. On June 16, 2023, Urshela was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left pelvis fracture. On June 21, 2023, the Angels announced Urshela would not need surgery but would miss the remainder of the 2023 season.

Detroit Tigers

On February 22, 2024, Urshela signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the

. In 92 games for the Tigers, he batted .243/.286/.333 with five home runs and 37 RBIs. On August 16, Urshela was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

. He was released two days later.

Atlanta Braves

On August 20, 2024, Urshela signed a one-year, major league contract with the

. In 36 games for Atlanta, he batted .265/.287/.424 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI.

Athletics

On December 19, 2024, Urshela signed a one-year, major league contract with the

International career

Before the 2013 season, he played for the Colombian national baseball team in the qualifiers for the

World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...

, but the team lost to Panama and failed to qualify for the tournament. He played for the Colombian national baseball team again after they qualified for the

2017 World Baseball Classic The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts wer ...

. In 14 plate appearances, he slashed .143/.143/.143 with two hits. Urshela was named to the Colombian roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, held in March 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.

Personal life

Urshela is married to his wife, Danna. In 2022, she gave birth to their daughter. Danna is a journalist in Colombia.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Urshela, Gio 1991 births Living people Águilas del Zulia players Akron Aeros players Akron RubberDucks players Arizona League Indians players Atlanta Braves players Athletics (baseball) players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Caimanes de Barranquilla players Carolina Mudcats players Cleveland Indians players Colombian expatriate baseball players in Canada Colombian expatriate baseball players in the United States Colombian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Columbus Clippers players Detroit Tigers players Dominican Summer League Indians players Colombian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Lake County Captains players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball players from Colombia Major League Baseball third basemen Mahoning Valley Scrappers players Minnesota Twins players New York Yankees players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Somerset Patriots players Baseball players from Cartagena, Colombia Tigres del Licey players Toledo Mud Hens players Toronto Blue Jays players 2017 World Baseball Classic players 2023 World Baseball Classic players