Kivlehan Traded to Arizona Diamondbacks
Sep 06 | Baseball
Former Scarlet Knight back in the major leagues
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Former Rutgers baseball standout Patrick Kivlehan was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks today and is set to join the big league club after having his contract selected. Kivlehan was previously with the New York Mets' organization at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .314/.372/.588 with 20 home runs in 98 games.
Owning 123 games of experience at the major league level, Kivlehan actually made his MLB debut in 2016 against Arizona with the San Diego Padres in 2016. He hit a 464-foot home run off Robbie Ray in his second plate appearance and later singled in the game.
Kivlehan started this year in the minor leagues at Triple-A Louisville before the Mets picked him up in May. He ranks third in the Pacific Coast League with a .588 slugging percentage, fourth with a .959 OPS, ninth with a .314 batting average and 14th in both on-base percentage (.372) and home runs (20). Playing mostly in the outfield, Kivlehan, who has hit .381 over the last 30 days, has also knocked in 67 runs for the 51s, totaling 29 doubles, four triples, 59 runs and 30 walks to earn a trip back to the majors.
The Diamondbacks enter play on Thursday in the thick of the playoff race, sitting two games behind in the NL West and 2.5 in the wild card.
After a four-year football career at safety for the Scarlet Knights, Kivlehan joined the baseball program as a walk-on for the 2012 season. Readjusting to the sport for the first time since high school, Kivlehan won the starting job at third base and won the first league triple crown in Big East history with a .402 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Overall, he batted .392 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs overall, to go with a .693 slugging percentage and .480 on-base percentage to win Big East Player of the Year and Third Team All-America by Baseball America. The Seattle Mariners took selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball), Facebook (/BaseballRU) and Snapchat (rutgersbaseball). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
Owning 123 games of experience at the major league level, Kivlehan actually made his MLB debut in 2016 against Arizona with the San Diego Padres in 2016. He hit a 464-foot home run off Robbie Ray in his second plate appearance and later singled in the game.
Kivlehan made the Cincinnati Reds' roster out of spring training in 2017 and played in 115 games as a utility player. He led the team with nine pinch hits and saw time at five different positions (first base, third base, left field, center field, right field). Kivlehan blasted nine home runs in 204 plate appearances, including two in a May win at Philadelphia and a grand slam in August versus San Diego. In addition, he collected a career-high four hits against San Francisco in May.#Dbacks acquire INF/OF Patrick Kivlehan from the Mets for cash considerations and select his contract from the Triple-A Reno @Aces.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 6, 2018
In a corresponding move, OF Jarrod Dyson was transferred to the 60-day disabled list (strained right groin).
Kivlehan started this year in the minor leagues at Triple-A Louisville before the Mets picked him up in May. He ranks third in the Pacific Coast League with a .588 slugging percentage, fourth with a .959 OPS, ninth with a .314 batting average and 14th in both on-base percentage (.372) and home runs (20). Playing mostly in the outfield, Kivlehan, who has hit .381 over the last 30 days, has also knocked in 67 runs for the 51s, totaling 29 doubles, four triples, 59 runs and 30 walks to earn a trip back to the majors.
The Diamondbacks enter play on Thursday in the thick of the playoff race, sitting two games behind in the NL West and 2.5 in the wild card.
After a four-year football career at safety for the Scarlet Knights, Kivlehan joined the baseball program as a walk-on for the 2012 season. Readjusting to the sport for the first time since high school, Kivlehan won the starting job at third base and won the first league triple crown in Big East history with a .402 average, 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Overall, he batted .392 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs overall, to go with a .693 slugging percentage and .480 on-base percentage to win Big East Player of the Year and Third Team All-America by Baseball America. The Seattle Mariners took selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball), Facebook (/BaseballRU) and Snapchat (rutgersbaseball). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
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