Rubén Darío Tejada (born October 27, 1989) is a Panamanian

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 ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

for the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor-league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "part ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. 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

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major leagu ...

, St. Louis Cardinals,

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

, and

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles 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 American League's eight charter ...

Early life

Tejada was born in

Santiago de Veraguas Santiago de Veraguas () is the capital of the province of Veraguas, in the Republic of Panama, and the district or municipality of the same name. Located in the countryside next to the Pan American Highway. Bounded on the north by San Francisco D ...

in western

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

to Rubén Sr., a

mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning and ...

, and Donaji Tejada, a

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

. Tejada also has a younger brother, Ernie. Tejada grew up mere feet away from Omar Torrijos Herrera Stadium where his father was also a

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 ...

for Los Indios de Veraguas. Growing up, Tejada's favorite baseball players were shortstops

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

and Omar Vizquel. In 2001, Tejada played for the Santiago de Veraguas Little League team which represented the Latin American region at the

Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the ...

. In 2003, at 13 years old, Tejada began playing for Los Indios de Veraguas’ junior team as a pitcher.

Professional career

Minor leagues

Tejada signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2006. He debuted in professional baseball in 2007. He has played for the

Gulf Coast Mets The Florida Complex League Mets are a Rookie-level affiliate for the New York Mets, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Mets. The team plays its home games a ...

, Venezuela Mets, St. Lucie Mets and

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 M ...

. He also played for the

Surprise Rafters Surprise (or, rarely, surprize) may refer to: * Surprise (emotion), a brief emotional state experienced as the result of an unexpected significant event Places * Surprise, Arizona * Surprise, Indiana * Surprise, Nebraska * Surprise, New York * ...

of the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fi ...

New York Mets

2010

Tejada was invited to

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 ...

with the Mets in 2010. He was the youngest position player on the Mets Opening Day roster since

Tim Foli Timothy John Foli (born December 6, 1950), is an American former professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, P ...

in 1971. On April 7, 2010 he made his major league debut and went 0-for-2 with a HBP in 3 plate appearances. On April 9, 2010 he recorded his first major league hit off the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadi ...

' Tyler Walker. On June 4, 2010 the Mets re-called Tejada to replace Luis Castillo. With the activation of Luis Castillo from the DL on July 19, 2010, the Mets optioned Tejada to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He was re-called on August 7, after Alex Cora was released and

Jesús Feliciano Jesús Feliciano (born June 6, 1979) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He was most recently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the New York M ...

was demoted to 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 ...

. On September 5, 2010 in the seventh inning Tejada hit his first major league home run off Cubs pitcher Marcos Mateo on the first pitch. For the season, he batted .213/.305/.282.

2011

On May 17, 2011 Tejada was called up to play second base, thus moving Justin Turner to third base for the injured

David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the New York Mets. He was drafted by the Mets in 2001 MLB draft and made ...

. He ended the season with a .284 batting average in 328 at-bats.

2012

Once Jose Reyes signed with 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 (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

, Rubén Tejada became the New York Mets starting shortstop for the 2012 season. On August 1, 2012, Tejada hit his second home run in the majors against

Matt Cain Matthew Thomas Cain (born October 1, 1984), nicknamed "The Horse", "Big Daddy", "Big Sugar" and "Cainer", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the San Francisco Giants ...

of the Giants, his first home run since September 5, 2010. Ruben Tejada mets

2013

Tejada was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quad and called up shortstop

Omar Quintanilla Omar Quintanilla (born October 24, 1981) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Rockies (2005–2009), Texas Rangers (2011), New York Mets (2012, 2013-2014) and Baltimore Orioles (2 ...

from the Mets triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s to take his spot on the roster. After Quintanilla's unexpected performance however, the Mets optioned Tejada to Las Vegas. For the season, he batted .202/.259/.260.

2015

On October 10, 2015, during the second game of the

2015 National League Division Series The 2015 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2015 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1-3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one-g ...

, Chase Utley slid into and took out Tejada in an attempt to break up what might have been an inning-ending double play, fracturing Tejada's right

fibula The fibula or calf bone is a human leg, leg bone on the Lateral (anatomy), lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long ...

in the collision. Utley was ruled safe by the umpires after a video review despite never actually touching the base. The Dodgers, who were losing 2-1 at the time of the incident, rallied to win the game 5-2. Major League Baseball suspended Utley for two games for his conduct "in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09 (a) (13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base." Utley appealed the suspension and remained active for the rest of the Dodgers post-season games. MLB subsequently dropped Utley's suspension on March 6, 2016, with Chief Baseball Officer

Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief bas ...

stating "There wasn't anything clear-cut to say that play violated a rule."

2016

On March 15, 2016, the Mets placed Tejada on waivers, and released him the next day after clearing waivers.

St. Louis Cardinals

On March 19, 2016, Tejada signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with the St. Louis Cardinals. Expected to fill in for the injured

Jhonny Peralta Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cleveland Indians signed him as an amateur free agent in his native D ...

at shortstop, Tejada himself injured his quad in the final pre-season game, landing on the disabled list to begin the season. Tejada was activated on April 18, but the opening at shortstop was no longer there, having been filled instead by

Aledmys Díaz Aledmys Díaz Serrano (born August 1, 1990) is a Cuban professional baseball utility player for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston ...

. Tejada made his first major league appearance as a

on May 20 in the ninth inning at

Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. The stadium serves as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) ...

against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

, pitching one complete

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

while allowing two

earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...

s, on back-to-back home runs to

Chris Herrmann Christopher Ryan Herrmann (born November 24, 1987) is an American professional baseball catcher and outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and ...

and Brandon Drury. The Cardinals designated Tejada for assignment on May 28. He had six hits in 34 at bats. Tejada declined the outright assignment, becoming a free agent.

San Francisco Giants

On June 13, Tejada signed a minor league contract with the

. On June 29, Tejada was called up and started at third base after Matt Duffy was put on the 15-day disabled list. On July 20, he was designated for assignment by San Francisco. For the season, he batted .156/.270/.250 with the Giants in 32 at bats.

New York Yankees

On December 12, 2016, Tejada signed a minor league contract with the

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 ...

. On March 27, 2017, Tejada was reassigned to Minor League camp.

Baltimore Orioles

The

acquired Tejada from the

for cash considerations on June 4, 2017. He was assigned to the Triple-A

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

. His contract was selected by the Orioles two days later on June 6. Tejada made his Orioles debut the next night against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

replacing an injured

Manny Machado Manuel Arturo Machado (; born July 6, 1992) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Very highly recruited from an early age, he was raised in Miami, where he at ...

. For the season he batted .230/.293/.283 with the Orioles. On November 28, 2017, Tejada signed a minor league contract with the Orioles. He elected free agency on November 3, 2018.

Return to Mets

On March 23, 2019, Tejada signed a minor league contract to return to the Mets and was assigned to Triple-A

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States * Syracuse, New York ** East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

. He hit for the cycle on June 19, 2019 against the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

. On August 14, the Mets selected Tejada's contract. On August 22, Tejada was designated for assignment. He re-signed on a minor league deal on September 1. He became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Toronto Blue Jays

On January 17, 2020, Tejada signed a minor league deal with 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 ...

. Tejada was released by the Blue Jays organization on August 31, 2020.

Philadelphia Phillies

On May 5, 2021, Tejada signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. Tejada played in 72 games for the Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in th ...

, hitting .231 with 0 home runs and 15 RBI's. On August 25, 2021, Tejada was released by the Phillies.

Chicago White Sox

On September 3, 2021, Tejada signed a minor league deal with the

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) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

. He appeared in 8 games for Charlotte down the stretch, hitting .250/.300/.357 with 1 home run and 5 RBI. He elected free agency on November 7, 2021.

Long Island Ducks

On February 9, 2023, Tejada signed with the

of the

International career

Tejada played for Panama's national baseball team during the

2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26. Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference t ...

and the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament. In 2022, Tejada was selected to represent

at the

2023 World Baseball Classic qualification The qualifying round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic will be held in September 2022. Teams which participated at the 2017 World Baseball Classic automatically qualified for the 2023 tournament. The qualifying round is to consist of two tourna ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tejada, Ruben 1989 births Living people Baltimore Orioles players Binghamton Mets players Binghamton Rumble Ponies players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Gulf Coast Mets players Honolulu Sharks players Las Vegas 51s players Major League Baseball players from Panama Major League Baseball shortstops New York Mets players Norfolk Tides players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States People from Santiago District, Veraguas Sacramento River Cats players San Francisco Giants players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Springfield Cardinals players St. Louis Cardinals players St. Lucie Mets players Surprise Rafters players Syracuse Mets players Venezuelan Summer League Mets players 2009 World Baseball Classic players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Charlotte Knights players Gigantes del Cibao players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic

Early life

Professional career

Minor leagues

New York Mets

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2016

St. Louis Cardinals

San Francisco Giants

New York Yankees

Baltimore Orioles

Return to Mets

Toronto Blue Jays

Philadelphia Phillies

Chicago White Sox

Long Island Ducks

International career

See also

References

External links