Quick Facts
Biography
Chase Louis De Jong (born December 29, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider, curve, and change-up.
Career
Toronto Blue Jays
De Jong played for Woodrow Wilson High School, and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. After signing for a bonus of $620,300, De Jong was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and made 6 relief appearances for the team, posting a 1–0 record with a 1.50 earned run average and 15 strikeouts over 12 innings, with only 1 walk. He was promoted to the Bluefield Blue Jays prior to the start of the 2013 season, and made 13 appearances for the team, 10 of which were starts. In 2013, De Jong posted a 2–3 record with an ERA of 3.05 and 66 strikeouts over 56 innings pitched. In 2014, he was promoted to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts. De Jong made 23 appearances for Lansing in 2014, 21 of which were starts, and compiled a record of 1–6 with a 4.82 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 97 innings pitched. De Jong started the 2015 season in Lansing, making 14 starts and posting a 7–4 record, 3.13 ERA, and 77 strikeouts in 86 1⁄3 innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers
DeJong was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 2, 2015 for cash. In 11 appearances (10 starts) for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes he was 4–3 with a 4.86 ERA. He struck out six in six innings for the Quakes in the opening game of the California League championship series. The Dodgers invited him to major league spring training in 2016. To start the 2016 season, he was promoted to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League, where he was selected to the mid-season all-star team. In Tulsa, he developed a cut fastball under the tutelege of pitching coatch Bill Simas. After the season, he was named to the post-season all-star team and honored as the Texas League Pitcher of the Year. In 25 starts for the Drillers he was 14–5 with a 2.86 ERA, earning him a late season promotion to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, where he allowed one run in 5 1⁄3 innings in his one start. The Dodgers added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
Seattle Mariners
On March 1, 2017, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor leaguers Drew Jackson and Aneurys Zabala. The Mariners added him to the major league roster on April 3, 2017. He made his major league debut against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston on April 5, 2017, gaining the loss by giving up a three-run home run to George Springer in bottom of the 13th inning in the Astros' 5-3 victory over the Mariners. After the game, De Jong was optioned to the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League after the Mariners activated Dillon Overton from the paternity list.
Personal life
He is the cousin of former Blue Jays pitcher Jordan De Jong.