Five years later, Scott Kazmir was back in the big leagues.
The 37-year-old southpaw received a surprising call-up from the Giants and pitched well in a 6-3 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing just one earned run over four innings.
“I threw strikes, which was my main goal,” Kazmir told reporters. “We kind of had the mindset to get two or three [innings]. I was able to get some quick outs. All in all, I was happy with the outing. It’s a proud moment for me.”
A first-round pick of the Mets in 2002, Kazmir reached three All-Star Games across a 13-year career that saw him play for seven teams. He was released in spring training by the Braves in 2017, and didn’t play the next two years. Last summer, he returned for Eastern Reyes del Tigre of the Constellation Energy League in Sugar Land, Texas, and signed a minor league deal with the Giants in February. He was called up on Friday and started on Saturday.
Scott Kazmir pitching for the Giants on May 22, 2021, his first MLB appearance in five years. AP“It’s a fantastic story; it’s a story of perseverance and one of resilience,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s a testament to his drive and his determination and his willingness to kind of go through some difficult stretches. It’s not easy to be an established major league pitcher with a long career, a lot of service time, made a ton of money and then go back to independent ball to try to get another shot.”
