The Kansas City Royals have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Junior Fernández to a major league contract. The 27-year-old has pitched parts of four seasons in the MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates from 2019 to 2022, appearing in 50 games and posting a 5.17 ERA over 54 innings.
Fernández was originally signed by the Cardinals out of the Dominican Republic and made his MLB debut in 2019. He was placed on waivers in 2022 and ended that season with the Pirates.
In 2023, Fernández spent time in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals before moving to Japan to join the Chiba Lotte Marines. However, he was diagnosed with right distal clavicle lysis, requiring surgery that kept him out for nearly the entire season.
Known for his powerful sinking fastball that reaches 98 mph, Fernández also throws a slider, change-up, and four-seam fastball. Despite his impressive velocity, he has yet to produce significant strikeout numbers at the professional level but maintains a solid 50% groundball rate.
