| Ty Hensley | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1993-07-30)July 30, 1993 (age 31) Edmond, Oklahoma | |
Bats: Switch Throws: Right | |
Michael Tyler Hensley (born July 30, 1993) is an American formerprofessional baseballpitcher. Hensley was a first round selection of theNew York Yankees in the2012 Major League Baseball draft, but never played in the major leagues after playing only five professional seasons (two with the Yankees).
Hensley lived inTulsa, Oklahoma, before his family moved toLawrence, Kansas. He was set to attendLawrence Free State High School. However, strict rules about how many games he could play for the high school baseball team led the family to move toOklahoma, which allows for a longer high school baseball schedule.[1][2] He attendedEdmond Santa Fe High School inEdmond, Oklahoma, where he played for the baseball team as apitcher andcatcher and for theAmerican football team as aquarterback.[3] Hensley stopped playing football as a senior in order to focus on baseball. In his senior year, Hensley compiled a 10–0win–loss record, a 1.52earned run average (ERA) in55+1⁄3innings pitched with 111strikeouts and was named theGatorade Player of the Year for his state.[1][3]
Hensley was recruited by numerouscollege baseball programs, and theUniversity of Kansas recruited him to playcollege baseball andcollege football.[1] He narrowed down his choices to three finalists: theUniversity of Mississippi (Ole Miss), theUniversity of Texas, andArizona State University.[4] After spending the summer of 2011 playing for theUnited States 18-and-under national baseball team withGavin Cecchini andStryker Trahan,[5] who had committed to Ole Miss to play for theOle Miss Rebels baseball team, Hensley also chose to commit to Ole Miss.[6][7]
TheNew York Yankees selected Hensley in the first round, with the 30th overall selection, of the2012 Major League Baseball draft. Though the Yankees and Hensley agreed on a $1.6 millionsigning bonus, a physical examination discovered an abnormality in the shoulder of his pitching arm. As a result, the Yankees reduced the offered bonus to $1.2 million; Hensley agreed to the reduced bonus and signed with the Yankees rather than attend Ole Miss.[1][3][8]
After signing, Hensley made his professional debut inMinor League Baseball with theGulf Coast Yankees of theRookie-levelGulf Coast League. He pitched 12 innings for the Gulf Coast Yankees, striking out 14.[9] He suffered anabdominal musclestrain while pitching in theDominican Republic during the offseason. Though he rehabilitated the injury, he felt pain in his hip duringspring training in 2013, which was diagnosed as ahip impingement. He required surgery to repair bothhip labrums.[10] He developed an infection from the surgeries, and had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics he was prescribed.[9] Hensley missed the entire 2013 season.[10] He required a minor abdominal surgery to reattach the muscle to the bone before the 2014 season,[9] and pitched for the Gulf Coast Yankees and theStaten Island Yankees of theClass A-Short SeasonNew York–Penn League in 2014. Between the two levels, he had a 2.93 ERA and 40 strikeouts in30+2⁄3 innings pitched across 11 appearances.[9][11]
Hensley began experiencing discomfort in his arm during spring training in 2015. AnMRI andarthrogram found a bonecalcification inside a tornulnar collateral ligament of the elbow. He underwentTommy John surgery and missed the 2015 season.[12] While rehabilitating, the Yankees announced that Hensley would need a second Tommy John surgery in May 2016.[13] He missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to injury.
At the 2016Winter Meetings, theTampa Bay Rays selected Hensley from the Yankees in the minor league phase of theRule 5 draft.[14] He missed the 2017 season after a screw had to be inserted to reconnect the bone in his elbow. The Rays released Hensley in April 2018.[9]
Hensley signed with theEvansville Otters of theFrontier League, anindependent baseball league, in May 2018.[15] With Evansville, he pitched to a 6.61 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 41walks in 11 appearances.[9]
In 2019, Hensley pitched for the Utica Unicorns of theUnited Shore Professional Baseball League.[9] On August 6, 2020, Hensley threw ano-hitter for Utica against theEastside Diamond Hoppers.[16]
On January 28, 2021, Hensley signed with theMilwaukee Milkmen of theAmerican Association.[17] Hensley did not make an appearance for Milwaukee before he was released by the team on August 27.[18]
Hensley's father, Mike, played for college baseball for theOklahoma Sooners and for theSt. Louis Cardinals' organization in Minor League Baseball. After Mike's career ended due to an injury, he worked as apitching coach forOral Roberts University andKansas State University.[1][2] Hensley has a brother, J. R., who also pitches and playsleft tackle for the football team.[1]
Following the 2014 season, Hensley was assaulted and seriously injured in a town near his home.Anthony Morales, an American footballlinebacker who playedcollege football forWeber State University, allegedly attacked Hensley, kicking him in the head, when they argued about signing bonuses, and Hensley refused to tell Morales how much he received in his signing bonus.[19] Hensley lost consciousness and suffered a broken jaw. He spent several days atINTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center. Morales was charged with aggravated assault and battery, but later acquitted of the crimes.[11][20][19]
