Travis Blackley Returns To Major League Baseball With San Francisco Giants

Melbourne Aces star pitcher Travis Blackley has been recalled to the San Francisco Giants after first making his debut with the club in 2007, marking the sixth Australian to play in the Major Leagues this season.

Blackley, a Melbourne native, has rejoined the Giants on the strength of a 3-0 record with a 0.39 ERA over four games with the Giants’ Triple-A feeder club, the Fresno Grizzlies and excellent production with the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League’s first two seasons.

In 2011/12, Blackley went 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA over eight games and struck out 18 batters over 12.2 innings pitched in ABL action.  Blackley was also a key performer for the Aces in this year’s ABL Championship Series, where Giants executives say seeing him pitch on MLB Network in the United States helped cement their decision to promote him.

Blackley will be available for today’s game as the Giants host the Miami Marlins from 12:15 pm (AET); tomorrow’s match up of the same teams will be broadcast on Fox Sports from midday.

Blackley is one of Australia’s better travelled baseball players. He became the 18^th Australian to play Major League Baseball when he debuted with the Seattle Mariners in July 2004. He spent 2007 with the Giants, including two Big League appearances; 2008 with the Phillies Double-A club; 2009 with the Diamondbacks Triple-A club; and 2010 split between the Mets and A’s minor league systems.  He also played for the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organisation where he went 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA over 24 games.

Blackley has represented Team Australia at the IBAF World Cup in 2007, the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009 and Victoria in the Claxton Shield and Under 18 National Championships. 

Blackley’s recall continues the trend of California teams recruiting big Aussie arms.  He is currently one of four Australians playing in MLB along with Grant Balfour (Oakland), Josh Spence (San Diego) and Liam Hendriks (Minnesota).