Graduated from St. Paul High School in Shiner, Texas in 2003...Attended McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas...Selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.
2016
Signed to a Major League contract by the Orioles on 7.29 after spending the first part of the season pitching for the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League...Appeared in 30 games for the Swallows, working to a record of 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA (8 ER/29.1 IP), 11 walks, and 29 strikeouts...Finished second on the Swallows in ERA and saves (11), and third in SO.9 (8.9) among pitchers with at least five appearances...Made his season debut for the Orioles on 7/30 at TOR, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning with one strikeout... Pitched in six games out of the bullpen compiling a 6.75 ERA (4 ER/5.1 IP) before being optioned to Double-A Bowie on 8/11...Recalled from Bowie on 8/25 and appeared that night at Washington, surrendering three runs on four hits over 1.0 inning...Designated for assignment on 8.26 and was optioned back to Bowie...Pitched in five games for the Baysox, all in relief, three after being optioned from the Orioles on 8/11 and two after being designated on 8/26...Went 0-1, 6.43 ERA (5 ER/7.0 IP) with one walk and nine strikeouts for Bowie... Struck out the side, while allowing only one hit, in his first appearance for the Baysox on 8.18 at Hartford.
2015
Pitched in 72 games with the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League, going 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA (16 ER/70.1 IP)...The Swallows fnished with the best record in the league (76-65)...His 72 appearances ranked second on the club and his 62 strikeouts ranked sixth...Recorded five wins as a reliever, the second-most among Yakult relievers (behind only Ryo Akiyoshi; six).
2014
Went 3-3 with a 5.49 ERA over 40 games with Cincinnati...Appeared in one game with Triple-A Louisville, surrendering two hits over 1.0 scoreless inning of work...Went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA (2 ER/12.0 IP) over 11 games in June...Held opponents to a .182 batting average with runners in scoring position and two outs...Pitched to a 2.70 ERA (7 ER/23.1 IP) at Great American Ball Park.
2013
Established a career high in strikeouts...the day before Opening Day was optioned to Pensacola as one of the club's final spring roster cuts...made 3 scoreless apps there before he was promoted to Cin on 4/10, when LHP Sean Marshall was disabled...went 2-0, 5.64 in 21 apps for the Reds before he was optioned to Louisville on 6/8, when RHP Curtis Partch was promoted...for the Bats made 6 scoreless relief apps and converted his only save chance before he was promoted again on 6/29, when Johnny Cueto was disabled...spent the rest of the season with the Reds and posted a 3.03era in his last 31 apps as the Reds battled for a Wild Card playoff berth...on 9/22 at Pit struck out John Buck and Clint Barmes for staff strikeouts 1,248 and 1,249 to tie and then establish a new single-season club record...pitched the seventh inning of the 6-2 Wild Card playoff loss at Pit and allowed Russell Martin's second homer of the game.
2012
Spent most of the season with the Reds, except for a 10-day stretch at the end of August
when he made 3 apps for Louisville ... was on the Reds' roster all season until he was optioned to Louisville
on 8/21, when C Dioner Navarro was recalled to replace suspended C Devin Mesoraco ... returned to Cin
when rosters expanded on 9/1 ... in the 9-4 loss at NYM on 5/17 allowed a career-high 5 runs on 4 hits, an
intentional walk and Ronny Cedeno's first homer of the season (3-run) ... in his other 62 apps of the season posted a 2.68era (53.2ip, 16er) ... entered that outing vs the Mets with 15.1 scoreless innings on the season,
the third-most by any reliever in the Major Leagues who hadn't allowed a run (Aroldis Chapman 18.1, Oak's
Ryan Cook 17.2), and had allowed just 2 hits in his previous 10 apps (8.2ip, 4bb, 6k) ... recorded his first 2
career saves ... in the ninth inning of the 2-1 win on 5/9 at Mil stranded the bases loaded to earn his first Major
League save in his 141st career appearance...was Dusty Baker's 1,500th win as a manager ... also saved
the 6-3 win on 5/24 vs Atl ... stranded 38-42 inherited baserunners (90%), including a season-high streak 17
straight from 6/9-8/8 ... retired the first batter 44-63 times (70%) and converted 2-4 save opps ... was not on the
Reds' Postseason roster.
2011
From 8/9-8/25 was on the disabled list with a strained right forearm...when disabled in August
ranked among the National League pitching leaders in apps (56, T6th) and relief innings pitched (51.1, T24th)...
posted a 1.53era in his first 49 apps of the season through 7/23 (47ip, 8er) and a 14.53era in the 7 apps prior
to his disabling (4.1ip, 7er)...made 10 apps after he came off the DL on 8/26 (10ip, 7er)...from 5/11-7/23 put
together one of the most dominant stretches by a Reds pitcher all season, when in 29 apps he posted a 0.68era
(26.1ip, 18h, 2er)...prior to his 7-6 loss on 4/17 vs Pit had begun his Major League career with a 7-0 record,
including 2-0 in 2011...is the only righthander in franchise history to win his first 7 career decisions, breaking
the club record for RHP previously held by Billy Rhines, who began 6-0 in 1890...his 7-0 start was the best
start to a career by a Reds pitcher since LHP Rob Murphy began a club-record 8-0 in 1986-87.
2010
Was 1 of 10 Reds players to make his
Major League debut...spent most of the season with Cin but from 4/25-5/29 made 14 relief apps at Louisville...
began the season with the Reds and posted an 11.25era in a team-high 9 relief apps before he was optioned
to Louisville on 4/22...returned on 6/1 and spent the rest of the season in Cin...didn't allow a run in any of
his last 11 apps of the season (10.1ip, 4h)...in his last 17 apps posted a 1.15era (15.2ip, 2er)...from 6/16-8/9
posted scoreless streaks of 20g and 22ip, the second-longest scoreless streaks by a Reds pitcher in 2010
(Arthur Rhodes, 33g, 30ip)...in 32 apps from 6/1-8/21 posted a 1.36era...from 6/27-7/8 retired 20 consecutive
batters...stranded 19-26 inherited baserunners...on Opening Day vs StL threw a perfect eighth inning in his
Major League debut...earned his first 2 career victories in consecutive apps, on 7/23 at Hou (6-4 win) and
7/27 at Mil (12-4 win)...didn't allow a run during 2 apps vs the Phillies in the National League Division Series,
threw 1.2 hitless innings in Game 1 and faced 3 batters in Game 2 (0.1ip, 1bb, 1hbp)...while with Louisville,
allowed 8 of his 9 earned runs over 2 apps, on 5/15 at Rochester (2ip) and 5/24 vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
(1ip)...his ERA in his other 12 apps for the Bats was 0.54...made the Reds' Opening Day roster after throwing
10.0 scoreless innings over 7 apps in spring training (4h, 2bb, 8k).
2009
Combined to finish 4-1, 1.50 with 19 saves in 56 apps for Class A Sarasota, Class AA Carolina
and Class AAA Louisville...led all Reds minor leaguers in saves...opponents hit just .178...at Carolina was
a Southern League All-Star...on 6/24 vs Jacksonville allowed 5 earned runs while retiring just 1 batter...in
his other 55 apps of the season posted a 0.88era (71.2ip, 7er)...following the season pitched for the Peoria
Saguaros in the prestigious Arizona Fall League (10g, 2-1-3, 13.50, 10ip, 22h, 4hr, 2bb, 8k)...on 11/20 was
added to the 40-man roster.
2008
Spent most of the season at Class A Sarasota...made his Class AAA debut with 1 appearance for
Louisville, on 6/5 vs Toledo (1.1ip, 0r)...2007: Made 22 starts and 9 relief apps for Sarasota...made his first
8 apps out of the bullpen, then started 21 of his next 22 outings...made 6 starts of at least 6.0 innings, all
quality starts (5-1, 2.09)...suffered the loss in the Florida State League All-Star Game...on 8/21 vs Lakeland
pitched a season-high 8.0 innings (W, 3h, 1r, 1bb, 8k)...following the season pitched for North Shore of the
Hawaiian League...2006: Spent most of the season at Class A Dayton...made 1 appearance for both Rookie
Billings (1ip, 3r, 3k) and Class AA Chattanooga (4ip, 0h, 0r, 7k)...2005: Spent his first professional season
at Rookie Billings.
2007
Made 22 starts and 9 relief apps for Sarasota...
made his first 8 apps out of the bullpen, then started 21 of his next 22 outings...made 6 starts of at least 6.0
innings, all quality starts (5-1, 2.09)...suffered the loss in the Florida State League All-Star Game...on 8/21 vs
Lakeland pitched a season-high 8.0 innings (W, 3h, 1r, 1bb, 8k)...following the season pitched for North Shore
of the Hawaiian League.
2006
Spent most of the season at Class A Dayton...made 1 appearance for both
Rookie Billings (1ip, 3r, 3k) and Class AA Chattanooga (4ip, 0h, 0r, 7k).
2005
Spent his first professional season at Rookie Billings.