Luke Gregerson

Lucas John Gregerson (born May 14, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals. He set the major league record for holds in a single season with 40, until Joel Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays broke the record with 41 holds in 2013. He attended J. Sterling Morton High School West in Berwyn, Illinois, and Saint Xavier University.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Gregerson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 28th round of the 2006 MLB draft out of Saint Xavier University. He spent his first professional season between the rookie-level Johnson City Cardinals and the short-season State College Spikes in 2006. He went 0–1 with a 3.86 ERA in 15 games with Johnson City and 6–1 with a 1.72 ERA in 12 games with State College.

In 2007, Gregerson split the season between the Advanced-A Palm Beach Cardinals and the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. With Palm Beach he went 3–4 with a 1.97 ERA in 53 games and with Springfield he was perfect in his only inning of work.

Gregerson spent the entire 2008 season with Double-A Springfield of the Texas League. He went 7–6 with a 3.35 ERA, 10 saves in 75 innings pitched in 57 games.

San Diego Padres

Before the 2009 season, Gregerson was traded to the San Diego Padres along with Mark Worrell for Khalil Greene.

Gregerson spent the entire season with the Padres, going 2–4 with a 3.24 ERA with one save in seven save opportunities in 72 games and striking out 93 in 75 innings. On June 16, Gregerson was placed on the 15-day disabled list for tendinitis in his right shoulder and missed about a month of the season. On September 24, 2009, he picked up his first MLB save against the Colorado Rockies.

In 2010, Gregerson solidified his role as the regular seventh-inning relief man for the Padres, appearing before Mike Adams and Heath Bell in close games. He temporarily moved to the eighth inning in late July and early August while Adams was on the disabled list. On September 23, 2010, Gregerson worked a perfect seventh to set the major league record for holds in a single season with 37. He extended the record to 40 by the end of the season. Gregerson finished the season with a 3.22 ERA and 89 strikeouts against 18 walks in 78 innings.

Gregerson again began 2011 as the Padres regular seventh-inning man. He was 2–1 with a 2.63 ERA on June 7 when he was sidelined for a month with a strained right oblique. On July 9, 2011, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gregerson entered the game in the ninth inning after Aaron Harang, Josh Spence, Chad Qualls, and Mike Adams combined to pitch eight innings without allowing a hit. Gregerson retired the first two hitters before a double by Juan Uribe on a one ball and two strike count broke up the no hitter. Dioner Navarro then hit a single off Gregerson to score the winning run for the Dodgers. This was the closest the Padres have come to pitching a no-hitter since Steve Arlin in 1972. When Mike Adams was traded to the Texas Rangers at the end of July, Gregerson temporarily moved into the eighth-inning role of set-up man for Bell, but in September he returned to the seventh-inning slot as Qualls took on set-up man duties. Gregerson finished the season with 16 holds and a 2.75 ERA, but there was some concern that his strikeouts dropped to 34 over 55 innings.

Gregerson had an excellent 2012 with the Padres, including a 23 scoreless inning streak in July and August. He began the year as the seventh-inning man, and then moved to the eighth-inning when Andrew Cashner was converted to starter. He moved into the closer's role in August when Huston Street was injured, picking up nine saves. Gregerson finished the season with a 2.39 ERA and 72 strikeouts versus 21 walks in 71 innings.

Gregerson retained the eighth-inning role in the Padres' 2013 season, appearing there in 49 games. He also served as closer for a short stretch in early June when Street was on the disabled list. Gregerson finished the season with a 2.71 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 66 innings.

Oakland Athletics

On December 3, 2013, Gregerson was traded to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Seth Smith. Gregerson would start his first season with the A's as the teams set up man. However, after multiple poor April outings by A's closer Jim Johnson, Gregerson would begin sharing the A's closing duties with fellow pitcher Sean Doolittle. On April 16, Gregerson blew the save in a two-inning outing against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim