Rich Hill continues carving his place in MLB history

As soon as Rich Hill throws his first pitch for the Kansas City Royals, he will have made major league history.

The Royals will be the 14th team that Hill has appeared in the majors with, tying pitcher Edwin Jackson for the most in MLB history. At 45 years and 133 days old, Hill will be the oldest player in Royals history, passing Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry.

Hill's start Tuesday will bring his career full circle. He made his major league debut for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two batters in an inning of work. His first appearance for the Royals on Tuesday will also come at Wrigley.

That Hill has pitched for this long is a surprise. He had been a well-traveled reliever by 2015 and had asked to be released by the Nationals since he wanted to return to the rotation. A two-game stint with the independent Long Island Ducks, where he allowed two hits and three walks while striking out 21 batters in 11 shutout innings, prompted the Red Sox to sign Hill for the sixth time. He dominated in a four outing trial that season, allowing just five runs on 14 hits and five walks over 29 innings, striking out 36 batters. 

Although injuries have hit Hill over the years, he has typically been a solid part of the rotation since he resurrected his career. He has posted a 3.66 ERA and a 1.192 WHiP in his 938 innings beginning in 2015, striking out 977 batters with 316 walks. 

Hill could prove to be a solid option for the Royals going forward as well. While his 5.36 ERA and 1.619 WHiP over 42 innings are not promising, most of that damage came in two disastrous outings at the beginning of July. Hill has already defied the odds by lasting this long in the majors; he may still have some magic left as he toes the rubber on Tuesday.