Chase De Jong #44

Chase Louis De Jong (pronounced dee-YUNG)....Wife’s name is Christina...Son's name is Clayton....His son’s name, Clayton Bernhard, is a combination of his father and his wife’s father’s first names....His family values education…His father and brother are doctors and his mother has a master’s degree...His Pony League team traveled to Washington, PA, in 2008 and won the Pony League World Series that year....Was committed to the University of Southern California before signing with the Blue Jays....His father-in-law is Bernhard Langer, a two-time Masters Champion and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame....Is an avid golfer and boasts a two-handicap…His wife played golf at Florida Atlantic University and once shot 76 while seven months pregnant with their son... Was interested in the Pirates in free agency because manager Derek Shelton was the bench coach while he was in Minnesota and pitching coach Oscar Marin was a Minor League pitching coordinator with the Mariners in 2017-18....Enjoys collecting watches as a hobby and often provides counsel to teammates on which pieces to buy....He was a second-round draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012 but was traded three times and released once before signing with the Independent League Sugar Land Skeeters in 2019…He didn’t have a throwing partner after being released in 2018, so he threw weighted balls of the side of the 405 freeway in Long Beach to keep his arm in shape.

2022

Ranked fourth among National League relievers in innings pitched (71.2)...Began the season with Indianapolis after signing as a minor league free agent on 3/17...Tossed 7.0 innings in a combined no-hitter on 4/13 at St. Paul...Allowed one run in a combined 11.0 innings in his first two outings with Indianapolis...Was selected to the Major League roster on 4/21....Picked up the win in his first appearance on 4/22 at Chicago (NL) after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings...Won each of his first four decisions before being charged with his first loss on 8/11 at Arizona...Earned his first professional save on 8/30 at Milwaukee...Posted a 1.77 ERA during the month of August, the fourth-best mark among National League relievers...Posted a 19.0-inning scoreless streak from 8/13-9/9, the longest scoreless inning streak by a Pirates pitcher in 2022 and the longest since Richard Rodriguez's 19.1 inning streak in 2019.

2020

Began season with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League...Signed a minor league contract with Houston on 8/6...Had contract selected by the Astros on 8/23 and made season debut that night in the second game of a doubleheader at Los Angeles-AL (0.2ip/2er)…Was optioned to Houston’s alternate training site on 8/29 before being recalled on 9/7...Allowed four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work while starting the second game of Houston’s doubleheader at Oakland on 9/8 (his first Major League start since 9/28/18)…Struck out a career-high six batters while starting the final game of the season on 9/27 at Texas; allowed one run over his first 3.0 innings before ultimately allowing six runs in 3.2ip...Was on Houston’s roster for the American League Championship Series against Tampa Bay, but did not pitch.

2017

Seattle Totals - Was 0-3 with 6.35 ERA (20 ER, 28.1 IP) with 13 strikeouts in 7 games, 4 starts in Majors... Firsts - Major League debut on April 5 at Houston, and made his first start on April 30 at Cleveland... Up & Down - Four stints in Majors with Seattle: April 3-5, April 21-23, April 26-May 17 & June 14-16... Minor Totals - Went 4-9 with 5.99 ERA (75 ER, 112.2 IP) in 20 starts between AAA Tacoma and AA Arkansas (8/7-end)... Tacoma Time - Made 15 starts with Tacoma, going 3-6 with a 6.00 ERA (56 ER, 84.0 IP)... Arkansas - Went 1-3 with 5.97 ERA (19 ER, 28.2 IP) in 5 starts with Arkansas (8/7-end of year).

2016

Made 26 starts with AAA Oklahoma City and AA Tulsa, going 15-5 with 2.82 ERA (46 ER, 147.0 IP)…Texas League Pitcher of the Year and mid- and post-season All-Star…Baseball America Double-A All-Star…led Double-A pitchers in wins, WHIP (1.02), and opponents' average (.207, 1st)…Texas League Pitcher of the Week for period ending July 24.

2015

California League Pitcher of the Week on July 27…went 11-7 with 3.43 ERA (52 ER, 136.1 IP) in 25 games (24 starts) between Toronto and Los Angeles-NL Single-A affiliates… traded to Los Angeles-NL on July 2 with Tim Locastro for three international signing slots… in two postseason starts for Rancho Cucamonga, went 1-0 with 1.42 ERA.

2014

With A Lansing, was 1-6 with 4.82 ERA (52 ER, 97.0 IP) in 23 games (21 starts).

2013

Struck out 66 batters in 56 innings at R-Bluefield…had 3.05 ERA in 13 games (10 starts).

2012

Was 1-0 with 1.50 ERA (2 ER, 12.0 IP) with 15 strikeouts in 6 games with GCL Blue Jays.