Josh Rutledge

Josh Rutledge

Rutledge with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
Infielder
Born: (1989-04-21) April 21, 1989
Birmingham, Alabama
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 13, 2012, for the Colorado Rockies
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .262
Home runs 20
Runs batted in 102
Stolen bases 23
Teams

Joshua Alan Rutledge (born April 21, 1989) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Colorado Rockies organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Rockies and Boston Red Sox.

Rutledge won a state championship in high school before playing college baseball for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team. Then, after a short stint in the minor leagues, he made his MLB debut for the Rockies in 2012.

Amateur career

Rutledge attended Cullman High School, where he was a four-year starter on the baseball team. In 2006, he had a batting average of .436 with five home runs and 33 runs batted in (RBIs). Cullman was the runner-up in the Class 5A state championship. In 2007, his senior season, Rutledge hit .454 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI, and he helped his team win the state championship. The Birmingham News and the Alabama Sports Writers Association named him the Class 5A Player of the Year.[1]

Rutledge enrolled at the University of Alabama and played shortstop for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team. In 2008, as a freshman, he started 61 games and led the team in batting average (.369), hits (99), runs scored (62), and stolen bases (16). He became the second freshman to ever lead the team in hitting.[1] From March 26 to May 10, he had a 28-game hitting streak, the third-longest in school history. In 30 SEC games, he batted .406, and his 56 hits led the league. The following season, Rutledge batted .305 with five home runs and 44 RBIs. He was named to the All-SEC first team.[1]

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies selected Rutledge in the third round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, and he signed with the team on June 25.[2] That season, he played 11 games for the Northwest League's Tri-City Dust Devils, batting .128 with four RBIs. The following season, he played for the Modesto Nuts of the California League. He batted .348 with 9 home runs and 71 RBI and was named the league's player of the week twice.[3][4] Rutledge was then moved up to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League in 2012. He hit .308 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI.[3]

Rutledge was called up to the major league Rockies in 2012 to play shortstop while Troy Tulowitzki was injured. Rutledge made his MLB debut on July 13. In his first 145 at bats, he batted .345 with 24 extra base hits. Towards the end of the season, he injured his quadriceps and batted .197 in September. He finished his first major league season with a .274 batting average, 8 home runs, and 37 RBI.[2][5][6] A natural shortstop, Rutledge began playing other infield positions in 2014.[7]

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

On December 11, 2014, the Rockies traded Rutledge to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Jairo Díaz.[8] He underperformed during spring training while also losing a second base battle with various other players and was sent down to Triple-A. Rutledge spent the entire season in Triple-A, hitting .286 with 6 home runs and 34 RBI in 81 games.

Boston Red Sox

On July 27, 2015, the Angels traded Rutledge to the Boston Red Sox for Shane Victorino and $3.8M in cash considerations.[9] He was designated for assignment on November 30.[10] The Red Sox selected his contract from Triple-A Pawtucket in April 2016 after an injury to Pablo Sandoval.[11] Rutledge injured his knee in June and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.[12] On July 14, the team moved Rutledge to the 60-day DL.[13] On November 4, 2016, Rutledge elected free agency after declining an outright assignment to Triple-A.[14] He signed a new minor league contract with the Rockies on November 23.[15]

Personal life

Rutledge was born to Tony and Cheryl Rutledge in Cullman, Alabama, on April 21, 1989. His older brother, Michael, won the 2002 state championship as a member of the Cullman High School baseball team.[1][2] Josh married Laura Rutledge on November 30, 2013.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Player Bio: Josh Rutledge". rolltide.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Josh Rutledge Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Josh Rutledge Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Josh Rutledge". colorado.rockies.mlb.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  5. ↑ Renck, Troy E. "Offseason work has Rockies' Josh Rutledge ready to challenge for starting job". denverpost.com. January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Josh Rutledge". espn.go.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  7. ↑ Edes, Gordon (August 6, 2015). "Josh Rutledge, a 'Bama man, tries to make his place in Boston". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_27114439/rockies-trade-josh-rutledge-angels-reliever-jairo-diaz
  9. ↑ Edes, Gordon (July 27, 2015). "Red Sox trade 2013 hero Shane Victorino to Angels". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ Mastrodonato, Jason (April 24, 2016). "Farrell: Josh Rutledge 'became a different hitter' since Red Sox acquired him". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  11. ↑ Galanis, Sam (April 24, 2016). "Pablo Sandoval Placed On Disabled List By Red Sox With Shoulder Strain". New England Sports Network. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  12. ↑ Mastrodonato, Jason (June 17, 2016). "Josh Rutledge to the DL, Red Sox mull roster options". Boston Herald. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  13. ↑ Lauber, Scott (July 14, 2016). "Red Sox get lefty Drew Pomeranz, send Anderson Espinoza to Padres". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Josh Rutledge: Heads to free agency Friday". cbssports.com. November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  15. ↑ Todd, Jeff (November 23, 2016). "Minor MLB Transactions: 11/23/16". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  16. ↑ Topkin, Marc (December 6, 2013). "First base becomes priority for Rays". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 15, 2016.

External links

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