Carlos Hernández (pitcher)

Carlos Henrique Hernández (Spanish pronunciation: [erˈnandeθ]; born April 22, 1980 in Guacara, Carabobo State, Venezuela) is a retired starting pitcher in professional baseball. Carlos is also the son of legendary Indian Professional Baseball League Pitcher Enrique Humberto Hernández. He played for the Houston Astros from 2001 to 2002 and 2004. He is a switch hitter and throws left-handed. Hernández has a low 90s fastball, a very good curveball, a changeup, and he can throw a decent slider as well.

In 2001, he suffered a partial tear of his left rotator cuff diving back to second base. Before the injury, he was 1–0 with a 1.02 ERA, allowing only 11 hits in 17.6 innings. Despite pitching in pain, Hernández again showed promise in 2002, but his season was hampered by an ongoing injury with his left shoulder. He finished 7–5 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts, but twice was disabled. He missed the 2003 season following surgery. In 2004, Hernández started his rehabilitation with the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Astros, and finished with the big club with a 1–3 mark and a 6.43 ERA in nine starts.

After not playing baseball for anybody in 2007, Hernández signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and was assigned to their Single-A affiliate, the Vero Beach Devil Rays, where in six starts, he went 2–1 with a 1.04 ERA.

In a three-year career, Hernández posted a 9–8 record with 136 strikeouts and a 4.54 ERA in 172.2 innings.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• ESPN (profile and daily updates)