Is a 2011 graduate of Grossmont High School in El Cajon, CA, where he pitched and played first base..went 7-5 with a 2.40 ERA (27 ER, 78.2 IP) and 100 strikeouts in 14 games as a senior, while also batting .350 (36-for-103) with 9 HR and 32 RBI...was also a part of the offensive and defensive line on the football team....His first tattoo was an interlocking "S" and "D" set inside a baseball on his left arm with "est. 1992" underneath. His grandmother, Lucy Papitto, was not fond of the decision. Joe reminded her of that in a FaceTime call the day he officially beame a member of the Padres and 10 years after he got that ink. He pulled up his sleeve for her and said with a smile, “I told you it would play out.”...Enjoys coffee and playing ping pong...His favorite player growing up was Padres pitcher Jake Peavey...wears No. 44 in his honor.
2020
The Pirates Opening Day starer made 8 appearances all starts) and went 1-5 with a 3.86 ERA (17 ER, 39.2 IP) with 55 strikeouts to just 16 walks... Led the staff in strikeouts and posted career highs in SO/9 IP ratio (12.48) SO/9 IP and opponent AVG (.226, 33-for-146)...Among all ML pitchers (min. 8 starts) his 68.3 first-pitch strike % ranked 2nd behind Clayton Kershaw (69.7%)...Placed on the 10-day IL on Aug. 11 (retro: Aug. 9) with right triceps inflammation...threw 2.0 IP of “live BP” in Altoona (AA) on Aug. 27 before being reinstated on Sept. 2...Fanned a career-high 11 batters on Sept. 20 vs. STL, becoming the first Pirates pitcher to have back-to-back starts in the same season with at least 6.0 IP, zero runs and 10-or-more strikeouts...Though he claimed his sole win of 2020 in his last start of the season on Sept. 26 at CLE, he received just 12 runs of support in the campaign, the fewest of any NL pitcher who made 8-or-more starts...Received just 4 runs of offensive support while he was on the mound in his first 8 starts before the Pirates scored him 8 in his final outing... Finished the season with 16.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest such streak on the team and T-6th longest in the NL.
2019
Set career highs in games, innings pitched, starts and strikeouts...Led the Pittsburgh staff in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts...Due to a rainout, made his season debut in relief on 3/31 at Cincinnati and retired all six batters he faced in 2.0 scoreless innings of work - his first big league relief outing since 9/28/17 with Houston...Made his first start on 4/5 vs. Cincinnati and tossed 7.0 scoreless innings for the win...Did not allow an earned run in his first 18.1 innings of work...Lined out to center field as a pinch hitter on 4/19 vs. San Francisco...Had a bunt single as a pinch hitter on 5/4 vs. Oakland...Walked a career-high five batters and gave up eight runs in 3.0ip while suffering loss on 5/9 at St. Louis...Gave up 15 runs (13 earned) in back-to-back starts on 5/3 and 5/9, raising season ERA from 1.54 to 4.20...Threw 75 pitches and gave up one hit in 7.0 scoreless innings while winning his second game on 5/14 at Arizona...Won his second straight start on 5/19 in his hometown of San Diego (6.1ip/4r/3er)...Served as a pinch runner and scored a run on 5/28 at Cincinnati...Gave up three home runs in his start on 5/30 vs. Milwaukee; had surrendered just two homers in 59.0ip prior to the start...Pinch hit against Milwaukee's Josh Hader on 6/1 (struck out)...Pitched a career-high 8+ innings on 6/5 vs. Atlanta; also had two hits at the plate...Was ejected by home plate umpire Brian Gorman for "being the aggressor" after clipping Josh Donaldson on the 18th pitch of the game in the first inning on 6/10 at Atlanta...Made his next start in game four of the series in Atlanta on 6/13, marking the first time since Joe Gibbon in 1963 in which a Pittsburgh pitcher made two starts in a series (August 9 in the first game of a doubleheader vs. Houston and then again on August 11 in the fourth game of that five-game series)...The last Pirate to start twice in a four-game series was Bob Friend, who started the first and last games of a four-game set against the Phillies on September 7 and 9, 1956...Pinch ran and scored a run on 6/18 vs. Detroit...Pitched in Houston for the first time since winning Game 5 of the 2017 World Series and tossed 6.0 scoreless innings for the win...Served as a pinch runner on 6/28 at Milwaukee...Struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game on 7/5 vs. Milwaukee...Collected his first Major League RBI on 7/7 vs. Milwaukee...Pitched a career-high 16.0 consecutive scoreless innings from 6/21 to 7/7...Gave up one unearned run in 6.0ip while winning his seventh decision on 7/20 vs. Philadelphia...Served as a pinch runner again on 7/22 vs. St. Louis...Struck out as a pinch hitter on 7/28 at New York...Tied career high (second time) with nine strikeouts in 7.1ip on 8/16 vs. Chicago...Pinch ran and scored winning run in walkoff win on 8/23 vs. Cincinnati...Tripled off Jeff Samardzija on 9/12 at Oracle Park; the first triple for a Pittsburgh pitcher since Brian Burres on 5/29/10...Made final start - and the 100th appearance of his big league career - on 9/26 vs. Chicago and picked up the win (6.0ip/2er)...Went 8-for-51 (.157) with two doubles, a triple and three RBI at the plate (went 1-for-6 as a pinch hitter)...Posted a 3.73 ERA (82.0ip/34er) in 16 games on the road and a 5.09 ERA (88.1ip/50er) in 16 games at home.
2018
Saw limited action in spring training due to shoulder discomfort...Threw 92 pitches in 6.0 innings of action against the GCL Pirates in Bradenton on 3/31...Was placed on the 10-day disabled list on 4/2 (retro to 3/30) due to a right shoulder muscle strain...Threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on 4/19 and a 35-pitch session on 4/22...Took part in a simulated game at PNC Park on 4/25; threw 37 pitches... Made a rehab appearance with Bradenton on 5/1 and gave up five hits and two runs in 3.0 innings (36 pitches)...Had rehab transferred to Double-A Altoona on 5/6 and made start there on 5/7 vs. Bowie (4.0ip/2h/1r/1er/0bb/4os); threw 28 of his 34 pitches for strikes...Pitched 5.2 innings of no-hit ball and struck out six batters while winning his first rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on 5/12, throwing 60 of his 79 pitches for strikes...Suffered a loss in his second start with Indy on 5/18 at Durham (5.0ip/10h/6r/6er/2bb/5so - 96 pitches)...Went 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA (17.2ip/9er) in his four rehab starts...Was recalled from rehab and reinstated from the D.L. on 5/25; made his first start with the Pirates that night vs. St. Louis and pitched 7.0 scoreless innings for the win (67 pitches)...Also singled off John Gant for his first Major League hit on 5/25...Gave up one run in 7.0ip and threw 100 pitches while winning his second start on 5/20 vs. Chicago (NL); also collected his second hit with a single off Kyle Hendricks...Went 0-3 with a 7.45 ERA (19.1ip/16er) in his next four starts thru 6/23...Started in front of close to 100 family members and friends in his hometown of San Diego on 6/29 and pitched 7.0 scoreless innings for the victory; also went 1-for-2 with a sac bunt at the plate...Went on the 10-day D.L. on 7/3 (retro to 6/30) with a right index finger infection... Was reinstated on 7/10 and started that night vs. Washington; struck out a career-high nine batters but lost a 5-1 decision (6.0ip/2er)...Collected first career extra-base hit (double) on 8/6 at Colorado off lefty Kyle Freeland...Served as a pinch-runner on 8/20 vs. Atlanta...Threw 21 straight strikes to begin the game on 8/30 at St. Louis; the most by any Major League pitcher since 1988 when pitches were first tracked...Struck out eight batters in his win on 9/4 vs. Cincinnati (6.1ip/2er)...Was shut down for the season after making his final start on 9/17... Was diagnosed with a stress reaction on the front of his pelvic bone and an abdominal wall muscle strain...Pitched at least 6.0 innings in 14 of his 19 starts and at least 7.0 innings eight times; went 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA in those eight games...Had surgery on 10/19 to repair the abdominal wall and to help the stress reaction heal (surgery performed by Dr. Craig Smith in Los Angeles, CA).
2017
Made his first career Opening Day roster as Houston's No. 4 starter in the rotation...Made his first 15 appearances as a starter and went 4-8 with a 6.12 ERA (78.0ip/55er) and .306 opponent batting average against...Made his final 23 appearances in relief and went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA (31.1ip/5er) and a .196 opponent batting average against...His 1.44 ERA as a reliever ranked tied for third among A.L. relievers with at least 30.0ip...Was scored upon in just four of his 23 relief outings...Tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and threw a season-high 102 pitches in a 2-0 victory vs. Baltimore on 5/26...Was on the disabled list with right shoulder discomfort between 5/27 and 6/12...Struck out a season-high seven batters on 6/18 at Boston... Was optioned to Fresno on 6/23 and made lone Triple-A start on 6/29 vs. Albuquerque...Was recalled on 7/5 and made two starts before moving to the bullpen...Was scoreless in a careerbest 12.1 consecutive innings over nine games between 8/2-25... Recorded first two career saves in back-to-back appearances on 9/16 vs. Seattle and 9/20 vs. Chicago (AL)...Made seven total appearances during the post season...Was the winning pitcher in Game Five of the World Series against the Dodgers; pitched a scoreless 10th inning in Houston's 13-12 victory...Went hitless in five at bats as a batter during the regular season.
2016
Made his Major League debut in August, pitching in 11 total games in the Majors while making 10 starts down the stretch run...struck out 55 batters in his 62.0 innings, while walking 16 for a 2.32 walks per 9.0 innings ratio...threw five quality starts, while three of his last four starts were quality starts...posted a 3-1 record with a 1.75 ER (7ER/36IP) and 37 strikeouts in six games (five starts) at home...compiled 147.1 innings pitched between the Majors (56.2) and minor leagues (85.1), by far a career high...increased his innings total in five consecutive seasons: 2012 (17IP), 2013 (32.2IP), 2014 (77IP), 2015 (100.2IP)...began the season at Double A Corpus Christi before getting a promotion to Triple A Fresno on May 13...was recalled from Triple A on Aug. 1 for his first career stint in the Major Leagues...made his Major League debut on Aug. 2 vs. TOR against his former organization... tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight in a 2-1 Houston loss...set a Major League record for strikeouts by a reliever in a Major League debut...also set a franchise record for most scoreless relief innings in a Major League debut, which was previously held by RHP Jose Cisnero (3.2IP in 2013)...made his first career Major League start on Aug. 7 vs. TEX, tossing 7.0 innings of one-run ball while striking out six with no walks...became the third pitcher since 1913 to record at least six strikeouts with no more than one walk in each of his first three appearances in the Majors...the only other two to do it were RHP Johnny Cueto (2008) and RHP Masahiro Tanaka (2014)...his 21 strikeouts over his first three games in the Majors marked the third-most in club history behind RHP J.R. Richard (29 in 1971) and RHP Tom Griffin (26 in 1969)...on Sept. 21 at OAK, carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning, ultimately allowing one run in 5.1 innings in a 2-1 Astros win...went 7-4 with a 2.74 ERA (26ER/85.1IP), 87 strikeouts and 10 walks in 16 games (14 starts) between Triple A and Double A...was the starting pitcher for the U.S. Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and tossed a perfect 1st inning in front of his hometown crowd at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif...went 2-1 with a 0.68 ERA (1ER/26.1IP), three walks and 30 strikeouts in six games (four starts) at Double A Corpus Christi to begin the season...was the Hooks April Pitcher of the Month...was leading the Texas League in ERA prior to his promotion to Triple A...went 5-3 with a 3.81 ERA (25ER/85.1IP) in 10 starts at Triple A.
2015
Was named the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 12-1 with a 1.88 ERA (21ER/100.2IP), eight walks and 99 strikeouts in 19 games (14 starts) across three levels in the Astros system (Double A, Class A Advanced Class A)...led all of minor league baseball in strikeout to walk ratio (12.38), which was also the highest mark by a minor league pitcher since at least 2006...was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star...posted the fourth-best ERA among all minor league pitchers...began the season at Class A Quad Cities where he went 4-1 with a 0.70 ERA (2ER/25.2IP) in five games (3 starts), striking out 23 and walking one...was named the River Bandits April Pitcher of the Month after posting the fifth-lowest April ERA in the Midwest League (0.87)...was promoted to Class A Advanced Lancaster on May 9, and ended up going 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA (8ER/30IP), one walk and 43 strikeouts in six games (4 starts) at the level...was tabbed the JetHawks Pitcher of the Month for May after going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA (8ER/24IP) during the month...finished the season at Double A Corpus Christi, going 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA (11ER/45IP), six walks and 33 strikeouts in eight games (7 starts) with the Hooks.
