Introduction
Drew James Rucinski (born December 30, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins, and Miami Marlins, and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.
Career
Early career
Rucinski attended Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He played college baseball at Ohio State University for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008 to 2011.
The Cleveland Indians signed Rucinski as an undrafted free agent in 2011. In 2012 and 2013 he played for the Rockford RiverHawks / Aviators of the Frontier League.
Los Angeles Angels
In August 2013, Rucinski signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Rucinski was called up to the majors for the first time on July 10, 2014. He was designated for assignment on September 1, 2015.
Minnesota Twins
In December 2016, Rucinski signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. On September 6, 2017, Rucinski was released by the Twins.
Miami Marlins
On November 30, 2017, Rucinski signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. He had his contract purchased on June 3, 2018. He elected free agency after the season.
NC Dinos
On November 29, 2018, Rucinski signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the NC Dinos of the KBO League. On January 1, 2021, Rucinski re-signed with the Dinos on a one-year, $1.6 million contract. He posted a 15–10 record with a 3.17 ERA and 177 strikeouts over 178 ⅔ innings. On December 21, 2021, Rucinski re-signed with the Dinos to a $2 million deal, which tied for the second-most lucrative contract for a foreign player at the time of his signing. Rucinski was named a KBO All-Star for the team in 2022. He became a free agent after the 2022 season.
Oakland Athletics
On December 21, 2022, Rucinski signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletics that contains a club option for the 2024 season. He began the 2023 season working out of Oakland's rotation, and went 0–4 through his first 4 starts with the club. On May 20, 2023, Rucinski was placed on the injured list with a gastrointestinal illness. On June 11, it was announced that he had recovered from the illness, but was dealing with a low–grade MCL sprain of his right knee. On June 20, Rucinski was transferred to the 60-day injured list. On July 18, it was announced that he would undergo season–ending back surgery to address a degenerative condition.