SALTDOGS ADD FORMER BIG-LEAGUER CASEY CROSBY TO PITCHING STAFF

LINCOLN – The Lincoln Saltdogs announced over the weekend that they signed left-handed pitcher Casey Crosby to a contract.  The Saltdogs released LHP Nick Hornbaker as the corresponding move.

Crosby made his MLB debut on June 1, 2012 for the Detroit Tigers.  He appeared three times, all starts, for the Tigers and posted a 1-1 record with a 9.49 ERA.  He earned the win in his second start, allowing just three runs over 5.1 innings against the Cleveland Indians.

He made his Saltdogs debut on Saturday night.  Crosby struck out two of the three batters he faced and pitched a perfect top of the eighth inning in the Saltdogs’ 6-3 win over Kansas City.  He needed just 11 pitches to retire the side.  It was his first official inning since 2014.

The 28-year-old was a fifth round pick by Detroit in the 2007 draft from Kaneland High School in Maple Park, IL.  He ascended the minor league ranks quickly, picking up top-50 prospect rankings by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus before the 2010 season.  The lefty put up his best minor league numbers for Single-A West Michigan in 2009.  He went 10-4 with a 2.41 ERA over 24 starts.  He struck out 117 batters in 104.2 innings pitched.  He earned the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year award for his ’09 season.

Crosby pitched for Triple-A Toledo in 2013 and 2014 before being released by the Tigers.  He was 9-14 with a 4.40 ERA in parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level.  He signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox but was released prior to the start of the season in 2015.

Injuries have prevented Crosby from logging any official outings since 2014.  He is 31-27 with a 3.99 ERA over his seven-season career.

Hornbaker made just one appearance for the Saltdogs.  He threw a scoreless inning in the Saltdogs’ 14-4 win over Kansas City on August 3^rd.

Crosby joins a pitching staff that leads the league in ERA at 3.29.  He is the second left-handed arm on the staff.

The Saltdogs head to Wichita, KS to face the Wingnuts on Monday night.  First pitch is at 7:05 PM with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM on ESPN 1480 and saltdogs.com.

The team returns to Lincoln on Thursday, August 10th to take on the Sioux City Explorers.  Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (402) 474-2255 or visiting Saltdogs.com.  For the latest information on the Saltdogs follow the team on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram @saltdogsball.