Kendall Chase Graveman (born December 21, 1990) 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

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

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

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 ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

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 ...

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 ...

, and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. Graveman played college baseball for

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...

. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the eighth round of the

2013 MLB draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of t ...

, and played parts of two seasons in

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

before being called up by the Blue Jays in 2014. Working exclusively as a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

since his first full year in the major leagues, he became a

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 ...

in 2020 following a medical diagnosis of a benign bone tumor in his cervical spine.Kendall Graveman, ‘electric’ in return to Mariners, embracing new bullpen role
thenewstribune.com

Amateur career

Graveman attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he posted a 6–3 win–loss record with a 1.19

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) and 90

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s over 63

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

in his senior year. He enrolled at

and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the college athletics, athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA D ...

. In 2010, his freshman year, Graveman was used primarily as a reliever and finished the season with a 2–4 record and a 7.02 ERA. In 2011, he made 14 appearances (nine

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games pitched, games that a pitcher has starting pitcher, started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opp ...

), compiling a 5–0 record and a 3.65 ERA. 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 ...

drafted Graveman in the 36th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign with the team. In 2011, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Cotuit Kettleers The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

, and returned to the league in 2012 to play for the

Wareham Gatemen The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane Fie ...

. In his senior year at MSU, he made 16 starts, including 10 against

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

teams, and posted a 4–4 record with a 2.81 ERA and 59 strikeouts.

Minor league career

The

selected Graveman in the eighth round, with the 235th overall selection, in the

. He received a signing bonus of $5,000, and was assigned to the Class-A

Lansing Lugnuts The Lansing Lugnuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Athletics (baseball), Athletics. They are located in Lansing, Michigan, and play their home games at Jackson Field (Lansing), Jackson Fie ...

. Graveman would pitch to a 1–3 record and a 4.31 ERA over 39 innings in 2013. Graveman began the 2014 season with Lansing, but was promoted to the High-A

Dunedin Blue Jays The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...

after making four starts for the Lugnuts and posting a 2–0 record with a 0.34 ERA, including a near no-hitter over the

Beloit Snappers The Beloit Sky Carp are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and play their home games at ABC Supply Stadium. They previously played at Harry C ...

. In Dunedin, he compiled an 8–4 record in 16 starts, with a 2.23 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Graveman was promoted to the Double-A

New Hampshire Fisher Cats The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League, is the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Ja ...

and made just 1 start, a 6-inning win over the

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mi ...

, before being promoted 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 ...

. In his Triple-A debut, he took the loss, pitching 6 innings in a 2–1 loss to the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

. Graveman would allow only 1 earned run in his following 3 starts, bringing his ERA to 1.04 through 26 innings with Buffalo. He finished the 2014 minor league season with a 14–6 record over 167 innings, with an ERA of 1.83, 115 strikeouts, and a

WHIP A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

of 1.03. He also gave up only 2 home runs and issued 31 walks, for a BB/9 of 1.7. On September 3, Graveman was named to ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

s First Team All-Stars for 2014.

Major league career

Toronto Blue Jays

On September 1, 2014, Graveman was called up to the Blue Jays as a part of the September roster expansion. He made his MLB debut on September 5, against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. Graveman made 5 total appearances for the Blue Jays in 2014, and posted a 3.86 ERA, 4 strikeouts, no walks, and a 0.86 WHIP in 4 innings pitched.

Oakland Athletics

On November 28, 2014, Graveman was traded to the

, along with Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto, for Josh Donaldson. After opening the season as the fifth starter, Graveman was optioned to the Triple-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

on April 26, 2015, after going 1–2 with an 8.27 ERA in 16.1 innings. Graveman was called back up to the A's on May 23. He finished his rookie season with a 6–9 record and 4.05 ERA in 21 starts. On April 20, 2016, Graveman became the first pitcher to bat at the new Yankee Stadium and struck out after 3 pitches. Graveman batted in the clean-up spot, and became the first pitcher to bat clean-up since

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

in . Graveman became the A's only consistent starter for the 2016 season, notching 10 wins in 31 starts. With Sonny Gray starting the 2017 season on the DL with a lat strain, Graveman was chosen to start on opening day, the first opening day start of his career. He pitched six innings, struck out seven and took the win over the

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, ...

. On April 17, 2017, Graveman was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right shoulder strain. His first game back with the A's, April 27, Graveman executed an unassisted

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Le ...

. The previous such play made by an Oakland pitcher was on July 11, 1971, by

Blue Moon Odom Johnny Lee "Blue Moon" Odom (born May 29, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through , most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won ...

, who happened to be in attendance at

Angel Stadium Angel Stadium is a ballpark in Anaheim, California, United States. Since its opening in 1966, it has been the home venue of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), who relocated from Los Angeles to Anaheim following the 1965 seas ...

and witnessed Graveman make the play. After starting a couple of games after being activated, Graveman was placed again on the disabled list on May 29 due to shoulder soreness. On March 20, Graveman was announced as the 2018 opening day starter for the second consecutive year. After starting the season 0–5 with an 8.89 ERA, Graveman was demoted to Triple-A on April 26. Graveman underwent

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, ...

on July 24, 2018. He was non-tendered by the Athletics on November 30, 2018, and became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager 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 a contract at present ...

Chicago Cubs

Graveman signed a one-year contract with an option for the 2020 season 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 December 23, 2018. He missed the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He became a free agent after the season.

Seattle Mariners

On November 26, 2019, Graveman signed a one-year contract with the

. Graveman made the Mariners Opening Day roster in 2020. On July 27, 2020, he made his Mariners debut. On August 17, 2020, it was announced that Graveman had a benign bone tumor in his cervical spine. Following a nearly month-long stay on the

injured 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 ...

, he returned to the active roster as a

, citing less stress/pain on the tumor as the reason for his conversion. Graveman finished the 2020 season with a 1–3 record and a 5.79 ERA in 11 games, including two starts. On October 28, 2020, the Mariners declined their $3.5 million team option on his contract for the season, making him a free agent. He re-signed with the Mariners the following day on a one-year, $1.25 million contract with a reported $2.5 million in incentives which, if reached, would represent a slight raise from the team option had it been exercised. In 30 appearances for the Mariners in 2021, Graveman was 4–0 with 10 saves and recorded a 0.82 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 33 innings.

Houston Astros

On July 27, 2021, Graveman was traded along with Rafael Montero to the Astros in exchange for Abraham Toro and Joe Smith. Graveman allowed no runs in six of his first seven appearances for the Astros, and struck out 32.2% of the batters he faced. On August 31, 2021, Graveman came into a scoreless game against the Mariners in the eighth inning. He loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch, bringing Toro to the plate. On the eighth pitch of the at bat, Toro hit a grand slam to right-center field which accounted for all of the runs scored in the game. With Houston in the second half of the 2021 season, Graveman was 1–1 with a 3.13 ERA, and struck out 27 batters in 23 innings. In Game 5 of the 2021 World Series, Graveman became the final MLB pitcher to record an at-bat, due to the adoption of the

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

by the National League prior to the start of the 2022 season. On November 3, 2021, Graveman was declared a free agent.

Chicago White Sox

On November 30, 2021, Graveman officially signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the

. Overall in his first year with the White Sox, Graveman went 3–4 in 65 games with an ERA of 3.18 in 65 innings while striking out 66 and made six saves.

Houston Astros (second stint)

On July 28, 2023, Graveman was traded back to the Astros in exchange for catcher Korey Lee. In 23 games for Houston, he posted a 2.42 ERA with 24 strikeouts across innings of work. On January 16,

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, Graveman underwent right shoulder surgery, with reports stating that he would likely miss the entirety of the season. Following the season, he elected free agency.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On February 17, 2025, Graveman signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract with the

Scouting report

Graveman is a sinkerballer pitcher, throwing his sinker . He also throws a cutter, a slider, and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

from a modified two-seam circle changeup grip.

Personal life

Graveman and his wife, Victoria, have three daughters.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graveman, Kendall 1990 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks players Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Cubs players Baseball players from Alabama Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chicago White Sox players Cotuit Kettleers players Dunedin Blue Jays players Houston Astros players Iowa Cubs players Lansing Lugnuts players Major League Baseball pitchers Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball players Nashville Sounds players New Hampshire Fisher Cats players Oakland Athletics players People from Alexander City, Alabama Reno Aces players Seattle Mariners players Tacoma Rainiers players Toronto Blue Jays players Wareham Gatemen players World Baseball Classic players of the United States 2023 World Baseball Classic players