Luke Francis Bard (born November 13, 1990) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("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, who attempts to e ...

in 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 ...

organization. He has previously 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) ...

(MLB) for the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

Career

Amateur career

Bard attended

Charlotte Christian School Charlotte Christian School is a private, college preparatory, non-denominational Christian school for grades K–12. It is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. History In 1950, D.L. Pointdexter McClenny began a ministry at Calvary Presbyt ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, and the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck ...

. In 2010 and 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 operate ...

with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

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 one thous ...

Minnesota Twins

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) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

selected Bard in the first round of the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puert ...

. He signed and made his professional debut that same year with the

Gulf Coast League Twins The Florida Complex League Twins are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays in Fort Myers, Florida, at the Lee County Sports Complex. Prior to 2021, the ...

before being reassigned to the

Elizabethton Twins The Elizabethton Twins were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League and a Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They were located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and were named for their major league affiliate. The team playe ...

. In seven games between the two teams, he posted a 3.86 ERA. In 2013, he pitched for the GCL Twins, Elizabethton, and the

Fort Myers Miracle The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Fort Myers, Florida, and play their home games at the Lee County Sports Complex a ...

, going 1–0 with a 3.65 ERA in total innings pitched between the three teams. He missed 2014 and 2015 due to injury. Bard returned in 2016 and he spent the season with Fort Myers and the

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home ...

, going 3–1 with a 3.74 ERA in 44 relief appearances. In 2017, he was 4–3 with a 2.76 ERA in innings pitched between the Lookouts and

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

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels selected Bard in the Rule 5 draft after the 2017 season. He made the Angels'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

25-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, and ...

, and made his major league debut on March 31. After he was designated for assignment by the Angels, Bard was returned to the Twins on April 27. On February 16, 2019, Bard signed a minor-league contract with the

. He made the team out of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

and had his contract purchased before the season. He was sent down multiple times to the minors through the whole season, appearing in only 32 games for the Angels. Bard pitched in innings for the Angels in 2020, registering a 6.75 ERA and seven strikeouts. On March 29, 2021, Bard was placed on the 60-day injured list with a hip injury. On April 8, 2021, it was announced that Bard would undergo season-ending hip surgery. Bard had

hip resurfacing Hip resurfacing has been developed as a surgical alternative to total hip replacement (THR). The procedure consists of placing a cap (usually made of cobalt-chrome metal), which is hollow and shaped like a mushroom, over the head of the femur whi ...

surgery on his right hip on May 20, 2021, at the

Hospital for Special Surgery Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Founded in 1863 by James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United State ...

. On October 23, 2021, Bard elected free agency.

Tampa Bay Rays

On March 24, 2022, Bard signed a minor league contract with the

. On May 18, Bard was selected to the 40-man roster and immediately optioned to the Triple-A

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 i ...

. Bard pitched for Durham until he was called up by Rays on June 7. The next evening he made his major league return with a one-hit, two-strikeout two-inning outing versus the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals h ...

. On August 1, 2022, the Rays designated Bard for assignment.

New York Yankees

On August 5, 2022, the

claimed Bard off of waivers and assigned him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues on August 21. On September 6, Bard was designated for assignment. On October 24, Bard elected free agency.

Toronto Blue Jays

On February 11, 2023, Bard signed a minor league contract with the

organization that included a non-roster invitation to spring training.

Personal life

Bard's older brother,

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

, is a major league baseball player, currently with 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 Fi ...

. His cousin,

John Andreoli John Francis Andreoli (born June 9, 1990) is an Italian-American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. He also ...

, is also a professional baseball player for the

organization.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bard, Luke Living people 1990 births Baseball players from Charlotte, North Carolina Major League Baseball pitchers Los Angeles Angels players Tampa Bay Rays players New York Yankees players Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball players Gulf Coast Twins players Elizabethton Twins players Fort Myers Miracle players Cedar Rapids Kernels players Chattanooga Lookouts players Rochester Red Wings players Salt Lake Bees players Durham Bulls players Brewster Whitecaps players