Henderson Javier ÃÂlvarez (born April 18, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011 through 2012, the Miami Marlins from 2013 through 2015, and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017.
ÃÂlvarez debuted in MLB with the Blue Jays in 2011, and was traded to the Marlins after the 2012 season. He threw a no-hitter for the Marlins on the last day of the 2013 season, and was named an MLB All-Star during the 2014 season. He did not pitch in MLB during the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury.
Henderson Javier ÃÂlvarez was born on April 18, 1990, in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela.
ÃÂlvarez signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent, and made his professional baseball debut in 2007 with the Dominican Summer Blue Jays of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, pitching to a 1âÂÂ2 winâÂÂloss record with a 5.61 earned run average (ERA).
ÃÂlvarez subsequently moved to the United States, where he pitched for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, going 1âÂÂ4 with a 5.63 ERA and a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.67. He was promoted to the Lansing Lugnuts of the SingleâÂÂA Midwest League for the 2009 season, where he was an All-Star with a 9âÂÂ6 winâÂÂloss record and a 3.47 ERA. He played 2010 with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the HighâÂÂA Florida State League. He was named an All-Star and was selected to appear in the All-Star Futures Game, finishing the season with an 8âÂÂ7 record with a 4.33 ERA. He started the 2011 season with Dunedin, but was promoted after two starts to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the DoubleâÂÂA Eastern League. He was again named an All-Star and made his second appearance in the Futures Game, finishing the year with an 8âÂÂ4 record and a 2.86 ERA.
On August 9, 2011, the Blue Jays promoted ÃÂlvarez to the major leagues. He took the rotation spot of Carlos Villanueva, and made his major league debut on August 10 against the Oakland Athletics pitching 5 innings and giving up 3 earned runs on 8 hits, with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk.
On August 31, ÃÂlvarez recorded his first major league win in a 13âÂÂ0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched eight full innings, giving up three hits, no walks and recording five strikeouts. At 21 years and 135 days, ÃÂlvarez becomes the youngest Blue Jays' pitcher to record a win since Kelvim Escobar in 1997, and the youngest starting pitcher to record the win for the Jays since Phil Huffman in 1979. He made 10 starts for the Blue Jays, going 1âÂÂ3 in innings. He issued eight walks while striking out 40.
On May 4, 2012, ÃÂlvarez threw his first career complete game and shutout, defeating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4âÂÂ0. With teammate Brandon Morrow throwing a shutout the previous night, they became the first Blue Jays to throw back-to-back shutouts since Jack Morris and Al Leiter on June 16 and 17, 1993. ÃÂlvarez finished the 2012 season with a 9âÂÂ14 record and a 4.85 ERA in 31 starts. He struck out 79 batters in innings pitched, which resulted in the lowest strikeout rates in the Majors (3.80 K/9) in 2012.
On November 19, 2012, the Blue Jays traded ÃÂlvarez to the Miami Marlins along with Adeiny Hechavarria, Jeff Mathis, Yunel Escobar, Jake Marisnick, Anthony DeSclafani, and Justin Nicolino in exchange for Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, José Reyes, John Buck, and Emilio Bonifacio. Alvarez spent most of the first half of the 2013 regular season on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. He was activated from the 60-day disabled list on July 4, and made his first start as a Marlin that night against the Atlanta Braves. ÃÂlvarez received a no-decision in his Marlins debut, pitching five innings and giving up three earned runs in a 4âÂÂ3 win. ÃÂlvarez earned his first win as a Marlin on July 26, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On September 29, 2013, the final game of the Marlins 2013 season, ÃÂlvarez threw the 282nd no-hitter in MLB history, in a game against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed three base runners on an error, a walk, and a hit batter as the Marlins walked off in the bottom of the ninth inning on a wild pitch, 1âÂÂ0. He became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the final game of the regular season since Mike Witt in 1984, when he did so for the California Angels. ÃÂlvarez finished the 2013 season with a 5âÂÂ6 record in 17 starts. Through 17 starts, ÃÂlvarez pitched 102 innings while allowing just two home runs. The previous season he had allowed 29 home runs.
ÃÂlvarez opened the 2014 season with two complete game shutouts in his first seven starts. He was named an All-Star. After earning an 8âÂÂ5 record with a 2.48 ERA and a league-leading three shutouts, ÃÂlvarez went on the disabled list on August 1 with shoulder inflammation. before being activated on August 16. He finished the 2014 season with a 12âÂÂ7 record, the most wins for a Marlins pitcher, and a 2.65 ERA with 111 strikeouts.
The Marlins named ÃÂlvarez their Opening Day starting pitcher in 2015. In April 2015, ÃÂlvarez went on the disabled list when an MRI revealed inflammation in his shoulder and elbow. After going 0âÂÂ4 with an ERA over 6.00, he was declared out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery on July 28. On December 2, the Marlins opted not to tender ÃÂlvarez a contract, making him a free agent.
On December 28, 2015, ÃÂlvarez signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, with an additional $1.6 million available in incentives. While rehabilitating in the minor leagues, he left a game in July due to shoulder discomfort. After only pitching in 33 innings in the minors, ÃÂlvarez underwent shoulder surgery in September.
The Athletics outrighted ÃÂlvarez to the Nashville Sounds of the TripleâÂÂA Pacific Coast League on October 7, 2016, and he then elected for free agency.
On July 14, 2017, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league. In 7 starts for the Ducks, he posted a 2-1 record and 3.09 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 32 innings of work.
On August 22, 2017, ÃÂlvarez signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He made three starts for Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the TripleâÂÂA International League, and the Phillies promoted him to the major leagues on September 11. In 3 starts for the Phillies, he posted a 4.30 ERA with 6 strikeouts across innings of work. On October 4, ÃÂlvarez was removed from the 40âÂÂman roster and sent outright to Lehigh, but he rejected the assignment and elected free agency.
On March 14, 2018, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. In 9 starts for the Tigres, he posted a 3âÂÂ4 record and 4.60 ERA with 31 strikeouts across innings pitched.
On November 16, 2018, ÃÂlvarez signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. In 24 games (4 starts) for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, he compiled a 1âÂÂ4 record and 5.94 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 53 innings of work. ÃÂlvarez was released by the Nationals organization on July 1, 2019.
On July 20, 2019, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League. In 6 starts for Quintana Roo, he compiled a 4âÂÂ2 record and 3.12 ERA with 23 strikeouts over innings pitched.
On August 5, 2020, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association. On August 9, ÃÂlvarez signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. However, the deal fell apart on August 16. He made 5 starts for the team, recording a 2.90 ERA and 2âÂÂ1 record with 22 strikeouts in 31.0 innings pitched. ÃÂlvarez won the American Association championship with the Milkmen in 2020.
On September 18, 2020, after the American Association season, ÃÂlvarez was returned to the Tigres de Quintana Roo. On May 3, 2021, ÃÂlvarez was released by the Tigres.
On December 28, 2021, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League for the 2022 season. In 2022, he made 17 starts, registering a 7âÂÂ4 record and 4.43 ERA with 43 strikeouts in innings pitched. ÃÂlvarez won the Mexican League Championship with the Leones in 2022.
In 2023, ÃÂlvarez made 15 starts for Quintana Roo and went 6âÂÂ4 with a 3.68 ERA and 38 strikeouts in innings.
On November 28, 2023, ÃÂlvarez was traded to the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. In 4 starts for Saltillo in 2024, ÃÂlvarez struggled to a 7.90 ERA with 5 strikeouts across innings. He was released by the Saraperos on May 27.
On July 22, 2024, ÃÂlvarez signed with the Guerreros de Oaxaca of the Mexican League. In 2 starts for the team, he posted a 1âÂÂ0 record and 1.13 ERA with 1 strikeouts across 8 innings pitched. ÃÂlvarez was released by Oaxaca on November 19.
ÃÂlvarez is a sinkerballer with a 92âÂÂ95 mph sinker, a 93âÂÂ96 mph four-seam fastball, an 84âÂÂ87 mph slider, and an 85âÂÂ89 mph changeup. He also throws an occasional cutter (87âÂÂ90). The slider is mostly to right-handed hitters and the changeup mostly against lefties. His pitches all have below-average whiff rates, and his strikeouts per 9 innings rate is only 4.1 . However, his sinker has a ground ball/fly ball ratio of about 4:1.