| Luke Gregerson | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gregerson with theAstros in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1984-05-14)May 14, 1984 (age 41) Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| April 6, 2009, for the San Diego Padres | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| May 16, 2019, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 35–36 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.15 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 621 | ||||||||||||||
| Saves | 66 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Lucas John Gregerson (born May 14, 1984) is an American former professionalbaseballpitcher. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theSan Diego Padres,Oakland Athletics,Houston Astros, andSt. Louis Cardinals. He set the major league record forholds in a single season with 40, untilJoel Peralta of theTampa Bay Rays broke the record with 41 holds in 2013. He attendedJ. Sterling Morton High School West inBerwyn, Illinois, andSaint Xavier University.
Gregerson was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals in the 28th round of the2006 MLB draft out ofSaint Xavier University. He spent his first professional season between the rookie-levelJohnson City Cardinals and the short-seasonState College Spikes in 2006. He went 0–1 with a 3.86ERA in 15 games with Johnson City and 6–1 with a 1.72 ERA in 12 games with State College.
In 2007, Gregerson split the season between the Advanced-APalm Beach Cardinals and the Double-ASpringfield Cardinals. With Palm Beach he went 3–4 with a 1.97 ERA in 53 games and with Springfield he was perfect in his onlyinning of work.
Gregerson spent the entire 2008 season with Double-A Springfield of theTexas League. He went 7–6 with a 3.35 ERA, 10saves in 751⁄3 innings pitched in 57 games.
Before the2009 season, Gregerson was traded to theSan Diego Padres along withMark Worrell forKhalil Greene.[1]
Gregerson spent the entire season with the Padres, going 2–4 with a 3.24 ERA with one save in sevensave opportunities in 72 games and striking out 93 in 75 innings. On June 16, Gregerson was placed on the15-day disabled list fortendinitis in his right shoulder[2] and missed about a month of the season. On September 24, 2009, he picked up his first MLB save against theColorado Rockies.[3]
In2010, Gregerson solidified his role as the regular seventh-inning relief man for the Padres, appearing beforeMike Adams andHeath Bell in close games. He temporarily moved to the eighth inning in late July and early August while Adams was on the disabled list. On September 23, 2010, Gregerson worked a perfect seventh to set the major league record forholds in a single season with 37.[4] He extended the record to 40 by the end of the season.[5] Gregerson finished the season with a 3.22 ERA and 89 strikeouts against 18 walks in 781⁄3 innings.
Gregerson again began2011 as the Padres regular seventh-inning man. He was 2–1 with a 2.63 ERA on June 7 when he was sidelined for a month with a strained right oblique.[6] On July 9, 2011, against theLos Angeles Dodgers, Gregerson entered the game in the ninth inning afterAaron Harang,Josh Spence,Chad Qualls, and Mike Adams combined to pitch eight innings without allowing a hit. Gregerson retired the first two hitters before a double byJuan Uribe on a one ball and two strike count broke up theno hitter.Dioner Navarro then hit a single off Gregerson to score the winning run for the Dodgers. This was the closest the Padres have come to pitching a no-hitter sinceSteve Arlin in 1972.[7] When Mike Adams was traded to theTexas Rangers at the end of July, Gregerson temporarily moved into the eighth-inning role ofset-up man for Bell, but in September he returned to the seventh-inning slot as Qualls took on set-up man duties. Gregerson finished the season with 16 holds and a 2.75 ERA, but there was some concern that his strikeouts dropped to 34 over 552⁄3 innings.[8]
Gregerson had an excellent2012 with the Padres, including a 23 scoreless inning streak in July and August.[9] He began the year as the seventh-inning man, and then moved to the eighth-inning whenAndrew Cashner was converted to starter. He moved into thecloser's role in August whenHuston Street was injured, picking up nine saves. Gregerson finished the season with a 2.39 ERA and 72 strikeouts versus 21 walks in 712⁄3 innings.
Gregerson retained the eighth-inning role in the Padres'2013 season, appearing there in 49 games.[10] He also served as closer for a short stretch in early June when Street was on the disabled list. Gregerson finished the season with a 2.71 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 661⁄3 innings.
On December 3, 2013, Gregerson was traded to theOakland Athletics for outfielderSeth Smith.[11] Gregerson would start his first season with the A's as the teams set up man. However, after multiple poor April outings by A's closerJim Johnson, Gregerson would begin sharing the A's closing duties with fellow pitcherSean Doolittle. On April 16, Gregerson blew the save in a two-inning outing against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels would go on to win 5–4. Gregerson would redeem himself on April 20, pitching a hitless inning and earning his third save of the season in a 4–1 win against theHouston Astros. On April 22, Gregerson blew another save and took the loss in a 5–4 defeat to theTexas Rangers, further clouding the future of the A's closer role. He became a free agent following the season.
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On December 12, 2014, Gregerson signed a three-year, $18.5 million contract with theHouston Astros.[12] The deal was announced in conjunction with the signing of former Padres and Athletics teammate, relieverPat Neshek, and contained incentives to boost Gregerson's potential earnings to $21 million.[13] He registered a career-high 31 saves, ranking 10th in the AL, and 53 games finished. Gregerson also produced a 3.10 ERA, 7–3 W–L, 0.951walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP), 64 games, 61 innings, and 59 strikeouts with 10 walks. He produced a 3.28 ERA in2016. Gregerson andAlex Bregman, another Astros teammate, won the WBC participating with team USA early in 2017. Later that year, to cap the2017 season, Gregerson and the Astros won theWorld Series, marking the first championship in franchise history.[14] He became a free agent following the season.
On December 13, 2017, Gregerson signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. The contract includes a vesting option for the 2020 season.[15] He began the season on the DL due to apulled hamstring.[16] He was activated off the disabled list but after struggling through 12 appearances, he landed back on the disabled list with right shoulder and elbow soreness. On June 12, 2018, Gregerson underwent surgery on his right knee for a torn meniscus, putting his setback even further.[17] In 2018, Gregerson made 17 relief appearances for St. Louis, compiling a 7.11 ERA.[18]
Gregerson began 2019 on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder impingement.[19] He was designated for assignment on May 17, 2019. He was released on May 20.
Gregerson has representedTeam USA in both the2013 and2017 World Baseball Classic tournaments. In the 2013 tournament, he pitched two perfect innings. During the 2017 tournament he posted a 0.00 ERA with three saves in four appearances—playing a pivotal role in helping Team USA capture its first-ever WBC championship. Across his Team USA career, Gregerson has thrown six hitless innings, allowing just one baserunner.[20]
In July 2025, Gregerson served as a coach for theUnited States national under-18 baseball team's development program inCary, North Carolina.[21][22]
