Rich Hilljust keeps on pitching. The veteran left-hander is being called up by theKansas City Royalson Monday after he signed a minor-league deal with the team in mid-May. Hill's promotion from Triple-A Omaha wasreported by FanSided's Robert Murray. By joining the Royals, the 45-year-old Hill supplants Justin Verlander, 42, asthe oldest active playerin Major League Baseball. Hill will be the sixth 40-year-old on an MLB roster this season. Kansas City is the 14th MLB team Hill will pitch for in his 21 seasons,tying Edwin Jacksonfor the most teams a player has joined during his career. Hill last pitched forthe Boston Red Sox in 2024, when he made four appearances and compiled a 4.91 ERA in 3 2/3 innings. Hill's role with the Royals isn't yet clear, as the team hasn't officially announced his recall. Kansas City's starting pitcher for Tuesday's matchup with the Chicago Cubs is TBD as of Monday, so Hill could get the start in that game. All nine of Hill's appearances for Triple-A Omaha were starts, averaging 4 2/3 innings. He collected a 5.36 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 25 walks in 42 innings. In his July 13 startagainst the Toledo Mud Hens, Hill notched 10 strikeouts while allowing one run and four hits. With that, he became the first 45-year-old to reach double-digit strikeouts in a professional baseball game since Nolan Ryan did so against the Athletics onAug. 6, 1992, according to FanSided. The Royals currently have starting pitchersCole Ragans(left rotator cuff strain),Alec Marsh(right shoulder soreness) andMichael Lorenzen(left oblique strain) on the injured list. Additionally, relieverDaniel Lynch IV(left elbow nerve irritation) has been sidelined since July 6. Hill signed a minor-league contract with the Royalson May 13and moved to Triple-A after two appearances with the club's Rookie League team. He could've opted out of his deal on June 15 but chose to remain with Omaha for the opportunity to be called up or sign with another team if one showed interest. During his career, Hill's record is 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings. His best season was arguably 2007, when he went 11-8 with a 3.93 ERA in 32 starts, striking out 183 batters in 195 innings with the Cubs. The 14 MLB teams Hill has played for are as follows: Cubs (2005-08)Orioles (2009)Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022, 2024)Guardians (2013)Angels (2014)Yankees (2014)Athletics (2016)Dodgers (2016-19)Twins (2020)Rays (2021)Mets (2021)Pirates (2023)Padres (2023)Royals (2025)
