Santa Clarita’s very own Major League Baseball (MLB) players are returning from the all-star break, with one athlete being promoted back to the majors from the minor league. 

Tyler Glasnow, who graduated from Hart High School in 2012 and was born in Newhall, has yet to set foot on the pitcher’s mound this season due to Tommy John surgery that halted his 2021 season. Glasnow had a 2.66 earned run average (ERA) last season before the surgery. Glasnow also underwent surgery in his right ankle due to loose ligaments in the area. As of late June, Glasnow was placed on the 60-day Injured List (IL) where he still remains, as of Friday. Whether or not Glasnow will pitch this season is still unknown but the Tampa Bay Ray pitcher is hopeful to get back on the mound this year.

Trevor Bauer, who graduated Hart in 2009, was placed on paid administrative leave on July 2, 2021 by MLB due to sexual assault allegations made against the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher. There are now growing concerns that Bauer may never pitch again in the MLB, according to Curt Schilling, a former MLB pitcher. However, Bauer has been active and vocal on Instagram about his administrative leave; he’s been seen sharing other people’s stories with the “FreeBauer” hashtag, #FreeBauer.

Zack Britton, raised in Santa Clarita and attended Canyon High School for his freshman year, is another casualty of Tommy John surgery as Britton has been out since September 2021. Britton remains hopeful as he has now started traveling with the New York Yankees once again. Britton was seen throwing from a mound again on June 21 in a session aimed at player development. Yankees’ manager, Aaron Boone said it is “really encouraging” seeing the relief pitcher on the mound again. As of July 4, the pitcher was moved to the Yankees’ 60-day IL and is expected to see more time on the mound in the coming weeks, according to ESPN.

Scott Barlow (Kansas City Royals) who graduated from Golden Valley in 2011 is having a career year throwing for a 2.06 ERA as of July 22. Barlow has struck out 44 batters so far this year. With an ERA that low it may have seemed that Barlow would have been selected as an all-star, but it wasn’t meant to be for the Golden Valley alumnus.

Keston Hiura, who graduated from Valencia in 2014 has slightly bounced back from his 2021 season, which was a year to forget for the Milwaukee Brewer. Hiura has boasted a .236 batting average (BA) up from .168 last year. Hiura also touches the base pretty often, boasting a .354 on-base percentage (OBP).

It’s been a rough rookie season for Hunter Greene, giving up 23 home runs (HR) in the first half of the season. Now on the Cincinnati Reds, Greene has pitched 90 ⅓  innings giving up 58 earned runs (ER) and boasting a 5.78 ERA through his first 18 starts in the Majors. Greene was picked second overall in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Tommy Milone, who graduated from Saugus in 2005 was on the Seattle Mariners triple-A roster and managed to keep his ERA low, boasting a 1.13 through seven games. Milone earned himself a spot back on the Major League mound and has managed a 1-1 win-loss record with four strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA.

Minor League Players Up To The Plate

Pat Valaika,(Hart ‘10),  played for the Baltimore Orioles last season and signed a minor-league contract with the World Series champions, Atlanta Braves this offseason. Valaika hoped to make it back to the big leagues after starting off the season with .302 BA, but the fire slowly started to burn out as he dropped to a .251 BA halfway through the season. It is unlikely that the second basemen would get the call to return to the shiny big league lights, since the Braves already have Ozzie Albies to fill that position and Robinson Cano to back Albies up.

Jared Oliva, (Valencia ’13), started the 2022 season in triple-A with the Pirates affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, where he still remains as of Friday. In 172 at-bats (AB) he has managed to average a .271 on-base percentage (OBP) and a .207 BA.

Mike Montgomery, (Hart ‘08), is currently with the Syracuse Mets, the New York Mets triple-A affiliate. Montgomery has managed to have a 6.9 ERA with a 1-7 win-loss record through 12 games.

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