Dennis Santana

Dennis Anfernee Santana (is named after former NBA players Dennis Rodman & Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway)...Wife's name is Mari...Has three sons...Began his professional career as a shortstop...Has 253 professional plate appearances, 210 of which came with the DSL Dodgers during his first pro season (2013)...Was signed by Dodgers scouts Bob Engle, Patrick Guerrero and Elvio Jimenez.

2025

Made his fourth career Opening Day roster...Was on the Bereavement List from 4/28-5/3...Received a four-game suspension and an undisclosed fine on 6/20 for his aggressive conduct toward a fan on 6/19 in Detroit (had the suspension reduced to three games after appeal and served the suspension from 6/29-7/1)...Surrendered a hit on 7/21 vs. Detroit, snapping a streak of 33 consecutive batters faced at PNC Park without allowing a hit (dated back to 6/3 vs. Houston)...Posted a 1.36 ERA (46.1 IP/7 ER) through his first 46 appearances from 3/27-7/29 before allowing five runs in 0.1 inning in a 17-16, walk-off loss on 8/1 at Colorado (his ERA increased to 2.31 after that outing)...Recorded a 1.27 ERA (21.1 IP/3 ER), 21 strikeouts, a .129 batting average against and a 0.70 WHIP over his last 21 appearances from 8/8-9/27...Posted the lowest WHIP (0.87) among National League relievers (ranked fifth among Major League relievers)...Also recorded the fifth-lowest batting average against among National League relievers (was 13th among MLB relievers).

2024

Began season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees’ AAA)...Made two relief appearances (1.1ip/1er) before being selected to New York’s Major League roster on 4/5...Made his season debut with the Yankees on 4/5 vs. Toronto and gave up two runs in 1.2ip...Earned his first save (second career) on 4/7 vs. Toronto...Picked up his first win on 4/19 vs. Tampa Bay...Gave up three runs in 1.0ip on 4/21 vs. Tampa Bay...Made seven straight scoreless outings from 4/23 thru 5/9 (6.0ip)...Won his second game on 5/3 vs. Detroit and picked up his second save on 5/5 vs. Detroit...Was designated for assignment by the Yankees on 6/9 after going 2-0 with a 6.26 ERA (27.1ip/19er) in 23 relief appearances...Was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh on 6/11...Made his debut with the Pirates on 6/13 at St. Louis and retired the two batters he faced...Was charged with a career-high six earned runs on 6/15 at Colorado (1.0ip)...Was removed from the game on 6/24 at Cincinnati with a right arm contusion after being hit by a comebacker (0.2ip/0r)...Surrendered two runs (one earned) in the 10th inning and suffered his lone loss with the Pirates on 7/4 vs. St. Louis...Whiffed four batters in 2.0 scoreless innings on 7/9 at Milwaukee...Struck out two of the three batters he faced while closing out a 6-2 win on 7/13 at Chicago (AL)...Struck out five of the six batters he faced on 7/27 at Arizona...Posted a 0.66 ERA (13.2ip/2r/1er) and 22 strikeouts in 10 appearances during the month of July...Pitched 2.0 scoreless innings on 8/23 vs. Cincinnati and picked up his lone win with the Pirates (third overall)... Earned his lone save with Pittsburgh (fourth career) on 9/2 at Chicago (NL)...Retired 18 straight batters from 8/23 thru 9/2... Had a scoreless streak of 19.1 innings from 8/8 thru 9/15, the second-longest scoreless streak by a Pirates pitcher in 2024 behind Bailey Falter (19.2ip in May)...Gave up an unearned run in 1.0ip on 9/17 at St. Louis to snap his scoreless streak... Allowed zero runs and no more than one hit in 16 consecutive appearances from 8/8 thru 9/15, the longest such streak in a single season by a Pirates pitcher in the modern era (since 1900)...Threw just five pitches (all strikes) while tossing a scoreless eighth inning on 9/25 vs. Milwaukee...Was scored upon in his final outing on 9/28 at New York (AL) - his first earned run allowed since 8/6...Surrendered just one earned run over his final 22 appearances (25.1ip - 0.36 ERA), dating back to 8/8...Also posted a 0.43 WHIP and a .077 batting average against (6-for-78) in that time...Went 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 62 total games between the Yankees and Pirates...Set big league career highs in saves (three), innings pitched (71.2) and strikeouts (69).

2023

Was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins from the Atlanta Braves on 2/26…was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets from the Twins on 3/17…over three stints with the Mets (3/30-4/15, 5/14-17, 8/16-19), went 1-0 with a 5.91 ERA (10.2IP, 10H, 7ER, 7BB, 12K, 2HR) in nine relief appearances…spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Syracuse, going 5-3 with five saves and a 4.91 ERA (33.0IP, 40H, 21R/18ER, 20BB, 41K, 6HR) in 29 appearances (two starts)…was designated for assignment on 8/19 and elected free agency on 8/22 in lieu of accepting an outright assignment.

2022

Broke spring camp as a member of Texas’ Opening Day roster and went 3-3, 1.44 ERA (31.1 IP, 5 ER) over his first 33 games through July 4...From July 5 through the end of the season, went 0-5, 9.55 ERA (27.1 IP, 29 ER) over his final 30 games, including one start...Did not allow a home run through his first 45 games (39.2 IP) to open season...allowed a homer to Jorge Mateo on Aug. 2 vs. Baltimore, snapping his 52.2-inning homerless streak dating back to Aug. 2021...Allowed just two home runs in 2022, and his 0.32 HR/9.0 IP figure was the 11th-lowest mark among qualified AL relievers, and the lowest by a qualifying Texas relief pitcher since José Leclerc in 2018 (0.16)…Stranded a team-high 31-of-40 (77.5%) inherited base runners, the 10th-highest inherited runner scored percentage among qualified AL relievers...Stranded 57-of-69 (82.6%) inherited runners since joining Texas on July 3, 2021, the seventh-best percentage in MLB over that span...Converted one of his three save chances, recording his first career save May 27 at Oakland...Tied Matt Moore for the team lead with a career-best 63 appearances...also registered career highs in wins (3), losses (8), innings (54.2), and strikeouts (54)…Signed one-year contract with Atlanta Jan. 13...claimed off waivers by Minnesota Feb. 26.

2021

Combined to go 2-4, 4.28 ERA (26 ER/54.2 IP) over 55 relief outings with the Dodgers and Rangers last season, setting career highs in most every category…was one of the Rangers’ most utilized relievers after being acquired from the Dodgers on 6/17 in exchange for RHP Kelvin Bautista.

TEXAS: Went 2-4 with a 3.63 ERA (16 ER/39.2 IP), 8.62 SO/9 figure and .214 opp. BA in 39 relief outings for Texas…closed season by going scoreless over his last 13 G/11.2 IP to drop season ERA from 5.44 to 4.28…earned wins 8/1 vs. SEA and 8/13 vs. OAK…matched career high with 4 K’s on 7/30 vs. SEA…was initially optioned to Round Rock (AAA) on 6/17 and made 4 relief appearances with the Express (0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 9 SO) before being recalled and making his Rangers debut on 7/3 at SEA…his 35 G in the season’s 2nd ‘half’ led all TEX relievers and ranked T3rd-most in the A.L…allowed five of 34 inherited runners (14.7%) to score and stranded 23 of last 25 IR beginning on 8/8.

LOS ANGELES-NL: Posted a 6.00 ERA (10 ER/15.0 IP) over 16 relief app. with Los Angeles-NL spanning his lone stint from 4/4-5/26…was optioned to Oklahoma City (AAA) on 5/27 and produced a 10.13 ERA (6 ER/5.1 IP) across three starts in the minors before he was designated for assignment on 6/12.

2020

Went 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA (10 ER/17.0 IP) in 12 games in his third MLB season…limited opposing hitters to a .234 batting average with a 1.29 WHIP...Picked up the win on July 29 at Houston after holding the Astros hitless and scoreless over 2.1 innings, despite starting each inning with a runner on second base in the 12th and 13th innings...Made his first Opening Day roster and spent nearly the entire season with the Dodgers aside from a brief stint at the Alternate Training Site from Sept. 12-28.

2019

In three games with Los Angeles, he posted a 7.20 ERA (4 ER/5.0 IP), striking out six batters against four walks while recording a 2.00 WHIP ... Was recalled on April 7 and faced the Rockies the same night at Coors Field, allowing an earned run in 2.2 innings of work with two strikeouts ... Tossed more than an inning in two of his three Major League relief appearances...allowed only two hits against right-handed batters in 13 at-bats, limiting righties to a .154 average...spent most of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he went 5-9 with a 6.95 ERA (72 ER/93.1 IP) and 105 strikeouts in 27 games (17 starts)… in 10 relief appearances, he allowed only three earned runs in 15.2 innings, holding batters to a .179 average.

2018

Earned his first MLB call-up after going 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 10 minor league starts with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City…combined to limit opponents to a .196 batting average with 65 strikeouts against just 16 walks in 49.2 innings ... Earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for May 20 during his short stay in OKC (May 18-30) ... Recalled by the Dodgers and made his big league debut June 1 at Colorado, recording his first Major League win after allowing five runs on six hits over 3.2 innings of relief and striking out four…also collected his first big league hit and RBI in his first at-bat, stroking a two-run double in the fourth inning off Tyler Anderson ... Scratched from what was to be his first scheduled start June 7 at Pittsburgh and spent rest of the season rehabbing a strained rotator cuff. 

2017

Split time between Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa, combining to go 8-7 with a 4.11 ERA and striking out 129 batters against 45 walks in 118.1 innings in 24 games (21 starts)...Began the season with the Quakes and earned a California League All-Star selection after going 5-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 17 games (14 starts)...struck out 92 batters against just 22 walks in 85.2 innings...Promoted to Tulsa on July 20 and went 3-1 with a 5.57 ERA in seven starts for the Drillers, while also leading the club to the Texas League championship...in the playoffs, he went 1-1 and tossed 13.0 scoreless innings in two starts and held hitters to a .184 average, while also striking out 18 batters against just three walks...Added to the 40-man on Nov. 20.

2016

Spent the entire season with Single-A Great Lakes, going 5-9 with a 3.07 ERA and held hitters to a .209 average in 25 games (14 starts)...struck out 124 batters against 56 walks in 111.1 innings...As a starter he went 1-7 with a 2.97 ERA (23 ER/69.2 IP) in 14 starts, while going 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA (15 ER/41.2 IP) in 11 relief appearances...Selected to the Midwest League mid-season All-Star team.

2015

Combined to go 2-5 with a 6.42 ERA (34 ER/47.2 IP) with Rookie-level AZL Dodgers and Rookie-level Ogden in 13 games (11 starts)...Struck out 52 batters against 38 walks in 47.2 innings.

2014

Converted from shortstop to pitcher and made his pro debut on the mound with Rookie-level DSL Dodgers, going 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA (4 ER/34.1 IP) in 20 games (one start)...Held hitters to a .156 average and posted a 0.99 WHIP...struck out 38 batters against 15 walks and allowed just one home run over 34.1 innings.

2013

In his first professional season, he hit .198 (34-for-172) with four doubles, two homers and 25 RBI in 56 games with the Rookie-level DSL Dodgers.