| Donovan Solano | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Solano with theCincinnati Reds in 2022 | |
| Free agent | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: (1987-12-17)December 17, 1987 (age 38) Barranquilla,Colombia | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 21, 2012, for the Miami Marlins | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .277 |
| Home runs | 43 |
| Runs batted in | 300 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Donovan Solano Preciado, nicknamed"Donnie Barrels",[1][2][3] (born December 17, 1987) is a Colombian professionalbaseballinfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theMiami Marlins,New York Yankees,San Francisco Giants,Cincinnati Reds,Minnesota Twins,San Diego Padres,Seattle Mariners andTexas Rangers. Solano won theSilver Slugger Award in 2020.
Solano was born and raised inBarranquilla, Colombia.[4] He grew up playing baseball with his older brother,Jhonatan Solano.[2]
Solano signed as an internationalfree agent with theSt. Louis Cardinals in January 2005[5] after performing well at a workout attended by then-Cardinals scouting directorJeff Luhnow.[2] In 2008, Solano was a mid-seasonFlorida State League All Star with theHigh-APalm Beach Cardinals.[5] He spent seven seasons in the Cardinals organization as a backupinfielder but never made it to the major leagues with them.[6] He advanced as high as Triple-A, playing for theMemphis Redbirds in 2009, 2010, and 2011.[7] He became afree agent on November 2, 2011.[5]
Solano signed a minor league contract with theMiami Marlins on November 11, 2011, and was a non-roster invitee to 2012spring training.[5] Solano competed for a reserve infielder role with the Marlins, ultimately won byDonnie Murphy. Solano was assigned to the Triple-ANew Orleans Zephyrs.[6] He received his first promotion to MLB by the Marlins on May 20, 2012, becoming the 12thColombian-born player to reach the major leagues.[5][2] On May 22, he singled in his first career at-bat, a pinch-hit single in the 7th inning.[8] Solano started his first MLB game on May 26. He went 2-for-4 against theSan Francisco Giants with two hits and arun batted in (RBI).[9]
After the Marlins traded away infieldersHanley Ramírez andOmar Infante, in July, Solano competed with Donnie Murphy andGreg Dobbs for playing time atthird base, asEmilio Bonifacio took oversecond base .[10] After Bonifacio injured his knee, Solano took over second while Murphy, Dobbs, andGil Velazquez competed to be the starting third baseman. Solano finished the seasonbatting .295/.342/.375 in 285 at bats with two home runs, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 28 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases.[8] He was named the second baseman onBaseball America's Major League All Rookie Team.[5][11]
The Marlins placed Solano on thedisabled list on May 7, 2013, retroactive to May 4, with a strained left intercostal muscle. He returned and played in 102 games, batting .249/.305/.316. He was named the Marlins' Defensive Player of the Year byWilson after playing primarily second base.[5][12]
In 2014, he appeared in 111 games for the Marlins, batting .252/.300/.323. In 2015, his last year with Miami, he appeared in only 55 games, splitting time between shortstop, third base, and second base, with a dismal .189 batting average.[12] He became a free agent on October 17.[5]
On January 9, 2016, theNew York Yankees signed Solano to a minor league contract.[13] He spent the 2016 season with the Triple-AScranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, with whom he was a postseason All-Star after batting .319 (eighth in theInternational League)/.349/.436 with 33 doubles (tied for third in the league), 7 home runs, 7 sacrifice flies (leading the league), and 67 RBI (tied for fourth) in 546 plate appearances.[14] The Yankees promoted him on September 18, following an injury toStarlin Castro. In 23 plate appearances, he hit .227/.261/.455.[5][15] The Yankees outrighted him to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the regular season.[16]
Solano spent the entire 2017 season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .282/.329/.391 with 44 runs, 29 doubles (tied for 9th in the league), four home runs, and 48 RBI in 405 plate appearances.[7] He batted .330 with runners in scoring position. He became a free agent on November 6.[5][17] Following the season, he played forTigres del Licey of theDominican Winter League, hitting .371/.400/.468 in 62 at bats.[5]
On January 19, 2018, Solano signed a minor league contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers. He played in 81 games for the Triple-AOklahoma City Dodgers of the Pacific Coast League, batting .318./.353/.430 in 340 plate appearances.[18] A hamstring injury cost him playing time in 2018.[2] Solano became a free agent following the season on November 2.[19]
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On December 18, 2018, Solano signed a minor league contract with theSan Francisco Giants.[20] He started the 2019 season with the Triple-ASacramento River Cats, batting .322/.392/.437 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 24 games.[21][22] The Giants selected his contract on May 7, his first time in MLB since the end of the 2016 season. With the Giants in 2019, he batted .330/.360/.456 with 27 runs, four home runs, and 23 RBIs in 215 at-bats. He hit line drives on 33.9 percent of batted balls, the highest of any MLB batter with at least 60 plate appearances.[23] He also hit .402 on the road, the first time a batter topped .400 since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004.[2] He played primarily second base, getting regular appearances as a pinch hitter and shortstop, with a few games at third base and designated hitter.[24][25] On December 2, he and the Giants agreed to a one-year, $1.375 million contract, avoiding arbitration.[26][27]
Solano had a breakout year in theshortened 2020 season. After making an out in his only at bat on Opening Day, he had a career-high 17-game hitting streak, batting .439 from July 25 to August 15.[28] On September 1, Solano had a career-high 6 RBIs in a 23–5 blowout win over theColorado Rockies.[29] He ended the 2020 season batting a career-high .326 (5th in the NL)/.365/.463, with a career-high 15 doubles (fourth), three home runs, 29 RBIs, and three sacrifice flies (seventh) in 54 games in the 60-game season.[12][30] However, his 11 errors were the second-most in baseball, behindRafael Devers.[31] He won theSilver Slugger Award forNational League second basemen.[12] He also won a sportsman of the year award from Colombian journalists.[32]
Solano signed a $3.25 million contract on February 18, 2021.[27] In the 2021 regular season, Solano batted .280/.344/.404 with 35 runs, seven home runs, and 31 RBIs in 344 plate appearances. He made his MLB postseason debut but was hitless in 9 plate appearances with 1 sacrifice fly and 1 RBI.[12][33] He became a free agent on November 3.[5]
On March 16, 2022, Solano signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with theCincinnati Reds.[34] Solano started the season on the injured list and received aplatelet-rich plasma injection to address lingering pain in his left hamstring in April. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 23.[35] He made his first appearance for the Reds on June 22. Solano appeared in 80 games for Cincinnati, slashing .284/.339/.385 with 4 home runs and 24 RBI.[36]
Solano signed a one-year, $2 million contract with theMinnesota Twins on February 23, 2023.[37][38] In 134 games for Minnesota, he batted .282/.369/.391 with five home runs and a career-high 38 RBI as the Twins wonAmerican League Central. In his return to the postseason, he batted 1-for-10 with 3 walks.[12][39] Solano became a free agent on November 2.[5]
On April 15, 2024, Solano signed a minor league contract with theSan Diego Padres.[40] In 12 games for the Triple-AEl Paso Chihuahuas, he hit .318/.392/.455 with 1 home run and 8 RBI. On May 5, the Padres added Solano to their major league roster.[41] Solano started his time with the Padres primarily playing third base withManny Machado limited due to his recovery from an elbow surgery at the end of the previous season.[42] He played first base on September 25 as the Padres clinched a postseason berth with a triple play against the Dodgers, making the game's final putout.[43][44] Solano hit a career high 8 home runs in the regular season, batting .286/.343/.417 in 96 games as the Padres advanced to theNational League Division Series before their elimination by the Dodgers.[12][45][46] Solano again struggled in the playoffs, batting 1-for-14.[12] He returned to free agency on October 31.[5]
On January 13, 2025, Solano signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with theSeattle Mariners.[47] In 69 appearances for Seattle, he batted .252/.295/.344 with three home runs and 21 RBI. Solano was released by the Mariners on September 1.[48]
On September 9, 2025, Solano signed a minor league contract with theTexas Rangers.[49] In 10 appearances for the Triple-ARound Rock Express, he hit .212/.308/.303 with two RBI. On September 26, the Rangers selected Solano's contract, adding him to their active roster.[50]
Solano was selected to theColombia national baseball team for the2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers. He batted .385/.467/.615, leading the team in hits (5) and runs batted in (3).[51] However, Colombia did not move on from the qualifiers that year, after losing to Brazil and Panama.
After Colombia qualified for the2017 World Baseball Classic, Solano played for the national team alongside his brotherJhonatan.[5] Solano batted 3-for-14, with a .214/.267/.214 slash line.[52] However, Colombia was eliminated in the first round.[53]
Solano initially committed to play in the2023 World Baseball Classic but withdrew from the team in February 2023 to prepare for his upcoming season with the Twins.[54][55][56]
Solano's older brother,Jhonatan Solano, was acatcher who made his debut in May 2012 for theWashington Nationals against Solano's Marlins.[57][58] The Solanos were the first brothers to make their MLB debut in the same month sinceVladimir Guerrero andWilton Guerrero in September 1996, and the first brothers to have their first MLB hit in the same month sincePete Stanicek andSteve Stanicek in September 1987.[5] The brothers played together for the Marlins in 2015 and for Colombia in the2017 World Baseball Classic.[59]
Solano's parents are Luis Solano and Myriam Preciado. Luis pitched and played infield in Colombian baseball leagues.[5][2][57]
Solano and his wife Laura have three sons, Donovan, Enoc, and Jeremias.[5][2][60]
Solano is a Christian.[61][13]
