Robert Lee Dugger (born July 3, 1995) 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, ...

who is a free agent. 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

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 ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

. He has also played in the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

for the

SSG Landers SSG Landers () are a South Korean professional baseball team. The team was originally established as the SK Wyverns but was renamed as the SSG Landers in 2021 after Shinsegae acquired the team from SK Group. They are a member of the KBO League. B ...

Amateur career

Dugger attended Tomball High School in

Tomball, Texas Tomball ( ) is a city in Harris County, Texas, Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Greater Houston, Houston metropolitan area. The population was 12,341 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census. In 1907, the community ...

. In 2013, as a senior, he led Tomball to a Texas UIL 4A State Championship, throwing a complete game in which he allowed only one run while striking out six, along with going 3–4 at the plate, including a three-run

inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a rare play in which a Batter (baseball), batter rounds all four bases for a home run without the baseball leaving the baseball field, field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-p ...

. He was named to the 4A All-State Baseball Team that year. Undrafted out of high school, he enrolled at Cisco Junior College where he 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, ...

. In his two years at Cisco, he compiled ERAs of 5.40 and 4.37. After his sophomore year, he transferred to

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...

. As a junior at Texas Tech, he was 6–1 with a 2.67 ERA over relief innings.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

Dugger was drafted by the

in the 18th round, with the 537th overall selection, of the

2016 Major League Baseball draft The 2016 Major League Baseball draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who ...

. After signing with the Mariners, Dugger was assigned to the Low-A

Everett AquaSox The Everett AquaSox are a Minor League Baseball team in Everett, Washington. The team is a member of the Northwest League and is the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The AquaSox play their home games at Funko Field, which has a seatin ...

before being reassigned to the rookie-level

Arizona League Mariners The Arizona Complex League Mariners are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The team is comp ...

. He also pitched in two games for the Triple-A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

. In 12 games (six starts) between the three affiliates, he went 2–1 with a 4.62 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 39 innings. In 2017, Dugger began the season with the Single-A

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Leag ...

, where he compiled a 4–1 record, a 2.00 ERA, 69 strikeouts, and an 0.99 WHIP in 22 games (nine starts). He was subsequently named a

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

All-Star before being promoted to the High-A

Modesto Nuts The Modesto Nuts are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Modesto, California, and are named for the several types of nuts grown in the Central Valley. They ...

in July, where he finished the season with a 2–5 record and a 3.94 ERA with 47 strikeouts over nine starts.

Miami Marlins

On December 7, 2017, Dugger, along either Nick Neidert and Christopher Torres, was traded to the

in exchange for

Dee Gordon Devaris "Dee" Strange-Gordon (born April 22, 1988), formerly known as Dee Gordon, is an American former professional baseball second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami ...

and international slot money. Dugger began 2018 with the

Jupiter Hammerheads The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...

, earning

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

All-Star honors, and was promoted to the

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in th ...

in May. In 25 starts between the two clubs, he pitched to a 10–7 record with a 3.40 ERA. He returned to the Jumbo Shrimp to begin 2019, earning Southern League All-Star honors, before being promoted to the

New Orleans Baby Cakes The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...

in June. On August 5, 2019, the Marlins selected Duggar's contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his major league debut that day versus the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, allowing six runs over five innings pitched.

Seattle Mariners (second stint)

On December 7, 2020, Dugger was claimed off waivers by the

. On February 19, 2021, Dugger 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 ...

after the signing of

Ken Giles Kenneth Robert Giles (born September 20, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros ...

was made official. On February 23, Dugger was sent down to the Triple-A

. On April 15, 2021, Dugger was selected to the active

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 ...

ahead of a doubleheader against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. In 12 games for the Mariners in 2021, Dugger posted a 7.36 ERA with 19 strikeouts. On August 22, Dugger was designated for assignment by the Mariners. On August 24, Dugger cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A .

Tampa Bay Rays

On March 24, 2022, Dugger signed a minor league deal with the

. He was assigned 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 ...

to begin the year, and was selected to Tampa Bay's active roster on May 1. He allowed three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts across innings, and was designated for assignment the following day.

Cincinnati Reds

On May 4, 2022, the

claimed Dugger off waivers. On May 9, the Reds designated him for assignment. On May 10, Dugger cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

. On May 12, Dugger was re-selected to the active roster. However, he didn't make an appearance for the Reds before he was designated for assignment again on May 14. On May 16, he cleared waivers and again returned to Louisville. On July 7, the Reds yet again selected Dugger's contract. The next day, the Reds designated him for assignment and sent him outright to Triple-A. Dugger was selected to the major league roster for a third time on August 5 to make a start against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. On October 4, Dugger was once again designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Louisville on October 6. However, Dugger rejected the outright assignment and instead elected free agency the same day.

Texas Rangers

On March 29, 2023, Dugger signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers organization. He spent the year with the Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

, registering a 7–10 record and 4.31 ERA with 143 strikeouts in innings pitched. Dugger became a free agent following the season on November 6.

SSG Landers

On November 27, 2023, Dugger signed with the

of the

. In 6 starts in 2024, he struggled to an 0–3 record and 12.71 ERA with 18 strikeouts across innings pitched. Dugger was released by SSG on April 27.

Oakland Athletics

On May 17, 2024, Dugger signed a minor league contract with the

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 ...

organization. He pitched for the Triple-A

Las Vegas Aviators The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevada, a comm ...

, going 5–2 with a 4.79 ERA and 87 strikeouts across 20 games (16 starts). Dugger elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

On April 15, 2025, Dugger signed with the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

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 ...

. In three starts for Oaxaca, Dugger logged a 1-1 record and 3.97 ERA with nine strikeouts across innings pitched.

Texas Rangers (second stint)

On May 6, 2025, Dugger signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. In 10 appearances (four starts) for the Triple-A

, he struggled to a 1-4 record and 14.40 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 25 innings of work. Dugger was released by the Rangers organization on June 28.https://www.milb.com/transactions/2025-06-28

References

External links

Texas Tech Red Raiders bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dugger, Robert 1995 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Arizona League Mariners players Baseball players from Tucson, Arizona Cincinnati Reds players Cisco Wranglers baseball players Clinton LumberKings players Durham Bulls players Everett AquaSox players Guerreros de Oaxaca players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Jupiter Hammerheads players KBO League pitchers Las Vegas Aviators players Major League Baseball pitchers Miami Marlins players Modesto Nuts players New Orleans Baby Cakes players Round Rock Express players Seattle Mariners players SSG Landers players Tacoma Rainiers players Tampa Bay Rays players Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball players 21st-century American sportsmen