NORMAL, Ill. – After posting an 11.95 ERA in his first professional season a year ago, former Redbird Joe Claver has lowered that mark to a tidy 2.84 in his second season as a pro.
A left-handed pitcher who last played for the Redbirds in 2014, Claver is 0-0 in 14 relief appearances this summer across two minor-league levels. He has struck out 10 batters and allowed just 10 hits in 12.2 innings of work.
Claver started the season with the Vancouver Canadians of the Class A Short Season Northwest League, where he made seven appearances and posted a 3.00 ERA. After allowing two earned runs in his first outing of the season, he posted six-straight scoreless appearances.
The former Redbird was then sent to the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Rookie Appalachian League in mid-July. He posted five-straight scoreless outings to begin his time at Bluefield, and has allowed runs in just one of his seven outings to date.
In his most recent outing, Claver struck out three over two perfect innings in a 10-4 loss to Elizabethton Aug. 8.
Other former Redbirds playing professional baseball include:
Neal Cotts – Milwaukee Brewers – National League – Major League Baseball
- Owns a record of 1-0 with a 3.11 ERA in 47 relief appearances, totaling 46.1 innings
- Pitched 1.1 scoreless innings at the Chicago Cubs Aug. 11
Chad Hinshaw – Arkansas Travelers – Los Angeles Angels – Double A Texas League
- Batting .273 with an on-base percentage of .387 with 16 stolen bases in 55 games
- Has stolen five bases since the beginning of August
Eric Aguilera – Inland Empire 66ers – Los Angeles Angels – Class A Advanced California League
- Slashing .328/.395/.532 with 5 doubles, 14 home runs and 81 RBIs in 103 games
- Went 2-for-6 with a double, home run and five RBIs in an 18-8 win at Visalia Aug. 9
Jeremy Rhoades – Inland Empire 66ers – Los Angeles Angels – Class A Advanced California League
- Owns a 9-6 record, 3.51 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 112.2 innings, across two minor-league levels
- Earned his third-straight win for Inland Empire with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings at Visalia Aug. 9
Brock Stewart – Rancho Cucamonga Quakes – Los Angeles Dodgers – Class A Advanced California League
- Currently 4-5 with a 4.18 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 90.1 innings across two minor-league levels
- Pitched two perfect innings in relief, striking out three, in a 10-9 loss at Stockton Aug. 6
Paul DeJong – Peoria Chiefs – St. Louis Cardinals – Class A Midwest League
- Slashing .357/.457/.586 with 22 extra-base hits in 41 games across two minor-league levels
- Went 2-for-4 and stole his ninth base of the summer in a 2-1 win at Dayton Aug. 11
Dan Savas – Missoula Osprey – Arizona Diamondbacks – Rookie Pioneer League
- Currently 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 11 saves in 17 innings of work in the Pioneer League
- Pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 11th save at Grand Junction Aug. 8
Will Headean – AZL Padres – San Diego Padres – Rookie Arizona League
- Currently 0-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 11 relief appearances, spanning 19 innings
- Pitched two scoreless innings in a 6-0 loss to the AZL Cubs Aug. 10
Ryan Koziol – AZL Giants – San Francisco Giants – Rookie Arizona League
- Owns a 1-1 record and 5.65 ERA in 13 relief appearances, totaling 14.1 innings
- Allowed one run in one inning of work against the AZL Angels Aug. 7
Note: Statistics updated Aug. 12.
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