Kelvin Antonio Pichardo (born October 13, 1985 in Santiago, Dominican Republic) is a right-handed minor league baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox organization.
Originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003, he started his professional career off in 2004, where - with the GCL Phillies - he pitched in 12 games, starting 11 of them. He posted a 5-5 record with 62 strikeouts in 58 innings and a 2.79 ERA.
In 2005, Pichardo didn't fare as well as he had in 2004. He pitched in 10 games for the GCL Phillies, starting nine of them. He went 2-3 with 37 strikeouts in 54 innings and a 4.17 ERA.
On August 28, 2005, he was traded to the Giants for Michael Tucker.
In 2006, he split time between the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and Augusta Greenjackets. Combined, he went 4-7 with 59 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings and a 3.61 ERA.
He split time with the San Jose Giants and Connecticut Defenders in 2007. Used entirely as a reliever, he went a combined 4-5 with 87 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings of work. In 46 games, he posted a 3.33 ERA with five saves.Overall, he has gone 16-16 with a 3.45 ERA in 86 minor league games (25 starts). He has struck out 245 batters in 232 innings, saving six games.
On March 23, 2009 he was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.[1]
On January 20, 2010, Pichardo signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. As of August 7, he remained in extended spring training at the Red Sox training complez in Ft. Myers, Florida.
- ↑ Pinchardo Suspended After Failing Drug Test Yahoo Sports, March 23, 2009