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In a 6-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at Wrigley Field, Rich Hill, starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, tied an MLB record.
45-year-old Hill made his Royals’ debut in the game and matched reliever Edwin Jackson for playing for his 14th different team in his MLB career.
Hill’s return to the major leagues also made him the oldest active player in the sport.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Rich Hill walks back to the dugout after the first inning against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 22, 2025, in Chicago. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
The left-handed starting pitcher pitched five innings, allowing six hits and three runs (two unearned), with two walks and a strikeout.
“He battled his butt off out there,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro postgame. “It was tough work out there early.”
“He had a couple of walks in there, but he made a lot of competitive pitches. Some of them didn’t go his way, but we didn’t play tight enough behind him to keep it where it was. Otherwise, he’s probably looking at one, maybe no runs.”
Hill faced a challenging second inning, throwing 31 of his 90 pitches in that frame as his defense failed him, resulting in two unearned runs that inning.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Rich Hill delivers a pitch against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 22, 2025, in Chicago. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
“You know, the second inning was a little bit of a grind to get through,” commented Hill. “But overall, I felt like the ball came out of my hand pretty much the way I wanted to.”
With this start, Hill’s 21st season in the big leagues has begun. He became the oldest player to start in a game since Jamie Moyer did at 49 years old with the Colorado Rockies on May 27, 2012.
At 45 years and 133 days, Hill became the oldest player in Royals history, surpassing Hall of Fame right-hander Gaylord Perry, who appeared in two games with the Royals in 1983 after turning 45.
Hill was brought up from Triple-A to join the rotation for Michael Lorenzen, who was unable to pitch due to an oblique strain. Quatraro did not indicate when Hill would pitch next, but the 6-foot-5 lefty expressed his desire to pitch again.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Rich Hill watches from the dugout during the Cubs game on July 22, 2025. (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
“It’s easy to say that you love it, but when you know you have more to give, it’s tough to walk away,” said Hill.
Throughout his 21-year career, Hill has played for the Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, the then-Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, the then-Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and the Royals.
The Royals (49-53) will face the Cubs (60-41) in the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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