| Duane Underwood Jr. | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Underwood with theChicago Cubs in 2019 | |
| Leones de Yucatán | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1994-07-20)July 20, 1994 (age 31) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 25, 2018, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 5–10 |
| Earned run average | 4.63 |
| Strikeouts | 179 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Duane Lee Underwood Jr. (born July 20, 1994) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for theLeones de Yucatán of theMexican League. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theChicago Cubs andPittsburgh Pirates. He plays for thePuerto Rico national baseball team.
Underwood attendedAlan C. Pope High School inMarietta, Georgia.[1] He committed to playcollege baseball for theGeorgia Bulldogs.[2]
TheChicago Cubs selected Underwood in the second round of the2012 MLB draft.[3] He signed with the Cubs, making his professional debut that same year with theArizona League Cubs. He spent 2013 with theBoise Hawks and 2014 with theKane County Cougars.[4] For 2015, Underwood was promoted to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, where he posted a 2.58earned run average (ERA) in73+1⁄3innings pitched. Underwood spent 2016 with theTennessee Smokies,South Bend Cubs, andMyrtle Beach Pelicans, where he posted an 0–6 record with a 4.32 ERA.[5] After the season, Underwood played for theMesa Solar Sox of theArizona Fall League and was added to the Cubs 40-man roster.[6][7] He spent 2017 with theTennessee Smokies where he went 13–7 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 25 games.[8]
Underwood started the 2018 season with theIowa Cubs. On June 25, 2018, the Cubs promoted Underwood to the major leagues to make his first start against theLos Angeles Dodgers.[9] He was optioned back to Iowa after the game, and spent the remainder of the year in Iowa. He returned to Iowa to begin 2019. He returned to the Chicago Cubs on August 6, 2019, and struck out all six batters he faced in his first appearance. Underwood appeared in 17 games for the Cubs in 2020 and pitched to a 5.66 ERA with 27 strikeouts in20+2⁄3 innings pitched.[10]
On March 2, 2021, Underwood was designated for assignment after the signing ofRyan Tepera was made official.[11]
On March 7, 2021, the Cubs traded Underwood to thePittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Shendrik Apostel.[12] In 43 games for the Pirates, he registered a 4.33 ERA with 65 strikeouts and72+2⁄3 innings pitched. On September 6, Underwood was placed on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.[13] In 2022, Underwood made 51 appearances out of the Pirates'bullpen, recording a 4.40 ERA with 57 strikeouts in57+1⁄3 innings pitched.[14]
On January 13, 2023, Underwood agreed to a one-year, $1.025 million contract with the Pirates, avoiding salary arbitration.[15] He pitched in 20 games for Pittsburgh, recording a 5.18 ERA with 14 strikeouts and twosaves in24+1⁄3 innings of work. Underwood was designated for assignment on May 27.[16] He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to the Triple-AIndianapolis Indians on June 2.[17] On October 2, Underwood elected free agency.
On December 14, 2023, Underwood signed a minor league contract with theNew York Yankees.[18] In 32 appearances for the Triple–AScranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he compiled a 3.26 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 3 saves over38+2⁄3 innings pitched. Underwood was released by the Yankees organization on August 5, 2024.[19]
On April 18, 2025, Underwood signed with theGastonia Ghost Peppers of theAtlantic League of Professional Baseball.[20] He made 32 appearances (eight starts) for Gastonia, logging a 5-2 record and 3.97 ERA with 58 strikeouts over 68 innings of work.
On December 12, 2025, Underwood signed with theLeones de Yucatán of theMexican League.[21]
Underwood is of Puerto Rican descent through his maternal grandmother.[22] During the2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he pitched for thePuerto Rico national team. On March 13, 2023, he pitched in relief versusIsrael and retired every batter faced in the eighth inning, afterJosé De León started andYacksel Ríos,Edwin Díaz kept theperfect game intact, andMartín Maldonado caught on the way to a10–0 win. The contest ended when Maldonado scored on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth inning that invoked the tournament'smercy rule. However, it did not qualify as an official perfect game per theElias Sports Bureau, due to lasting fewer than nine innings.[23][24]
