Lester Oliveros

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Oliveros and the second or maternal family name is Blanco.

Lester Oliveros
Kansas City Royals
Relief pitcher
Born: (1988-05-28) May 28, 1988 Maracay, Aragua, Venezuela
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 1, 2011, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics (through 2014 season)
Win-loss record	0–1
Earned run average	5.22
Strikeouts	19
Teams
Detroit Tigers (2011) Minnesota Twins (2011–2012, 2014)

Lester Jesus Oliveros Blanco (born May 28, 1988) is a Venezuelan professional baseball relief pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins. He is 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall and he weighs 225 pounds (102 kg).

Career

Detroit Tigers

Oliveros began his professional career in 2006, playing for the VSL Marlins/Tigers. That season, he went 1–3 with a 2.72 ERA in 20 games (two starts), striking out 46 batters in 39⅓ innings. In 2007, he pitched for the VSL Tigers, going 2–0 with a 1.41 ERA in 27 relief appearances, striking out 59 batters in 38⅓ innings. He moved to the United States in 2008, splitting the season between the Oneonta Tigers (15 games) and Lakeland Flying Tigers (five games), going a combined 2–3 with a 2.59 ERA. He struck out 37 batters in 31⅓ innings of work. In 2009, he pitched for the Flying Tigers (34 games) and Toledo Mud Hens (one game), posting a 4–2 record with a 4.02 ERA. Despite his inflated ERA, he managed once again to average more than one strikeout per inning, with 61 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. He split 2010 between the Flying Tigers and Erie SeaWolves, going a combined 1–3 with a 3.65 ERA in 44 games, striking out 60 batters in 44⅓ innings.

Oliveros was called up to the Tigers on July 1, 2011 to replace the injured Al Alburquerque.

Minnesota Twins

On August 16, 2011, Oliveros was traded to the Minnesota Twins as the player to be named later in the earlier trade for Delmon Young. He was assigned to the Rochester Red Wings, the Minnesota Twins AAA affiliate. Between Detroit and Minnesota, Oliveros pitched in 19 games.

In 2012, Oliveros spent the majority of the season in the minors, appearing in just 1 game for the Twins. In 2013, Oliveros was hurt for most of the season, appearing in just 6 games in Rookie ball.

In 2014 he got called up by the Twins, pitching 6.1 innings. He was the only Twins pitcher that year to throw a ball that was 97 mph or faster, something he did once. No other team that year had fewer than 75 pitches thrown 97 mph or faster.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)