José Ureña Bio
José Miguel Ureña Rodríguez (born September 12, 1991) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who most recently played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and is now signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Over the course of his MLB career, Ureña has pitched for the Miami Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels. In 2025, he tied the major league record for most franchises played for in a single season, appearing with five teams that year.
Ureña is a right-handed starter and reliever known for a power fastball that has reached the upper 90s, along with a slurve breaking ball and a changeup. He has delivered strong stretches at the major league level, including consecutive Opening Day starts for the Marlins, while also battling control issues at times throughout his career.
Early Life and Background
José Miguel Ureña Rodríguez was born on September 12, 1991, in the Dominican Republic. He grew up in the Dominican Republic during a period when the country produced a steady stream of major league pitching talent, and he developed his game in that baseball-rich environment. As a young prospect, he drew attention from Major League Baseball scouts for his projectable frame and lively arm.
Ureña was signed by the Florida Marlins as an international free agent on August 28, 2009, beginning his professional career as a teenager. He spent his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League Marlins, getting his earliest taste of organized professional baseball on his home island before moving to the United States to continue his development.
Path to Baseball
After his two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, Ureña moved stateside in 2011, pitching in Low-A ball with the Jamestown Jammers, where he posted a 4.33 earned run average (ERA) in 15 starts. The following year, he advanced to full-season Single-A with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, recording a 3.38 ERA in 138+1/3 innings. In 2013, he pitched for the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads, logging 149+2/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA.
The 2014 season marked a breakthrough in the minor leagues, as Ureña finished with a 13–8 record, 121 strikeouts, and a 3.33 ERA across 162 innings pitched. He began the 2015 season with the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League before getting the call to the majors. Ureña was promoted to the major leagues for the first time on April 13, 2015, replacing David Phelps on the Marlins’ roster, opening the door to his big-league career.
José Ureña Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
Ureña made his first major league start on May 26, 2015, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing five runs in 4+2/3 innings and taking the 5–1 loss. He finished the 2015 season with a 1–5 record and a 5.25 ERA in 20 games (9 starts), adjusting to the major leagues in a relief-and-spot-start role.
In 2016, Ureña split time between starting and relief duties, ending the season with a 4–9 record and a 6.13 ERA in 28 games (12 starts). The experience of those two seasons set the stage for a clear step forward the following year.
Miami Marlins Breakthrough (2017–2018)
Ureña took a major leap forward in 2017, appearing in 34 games (28 starts) with a 14–7 record and a 3.82 ERA. He also led the major leagues by hitting 14 batters with pitches, an early sign of the control questions that would follow him. His strong 2017 earned him the nod as the Marlins’ Opening Day starter for 2018.
On Opening Day, March 29, 2018, against the Chicago Cubs, Ureña allowed a first-pitch home run to Ian Happ and surrendered five runs over 4+ innings in an 8–4 loss. He made 16 starts in 2018 before landing on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. On August 15, 2018, he was ejected in a game against the Atlanta Braves after hitting Ronald Acuña Jr. with the first pitch, leading both teams’ benches to clear, and he received a six-game suspension. In his next start, Ureña threw a complete game against the Washington Nationals, allowing one run on two hits and striking out four batters, and he finished the 2018 season by winning six of his final seven starts with a 1.80 ERA over that span. By posting a 3.82 ERA in 2017 and a 3.98 ERA in 2018, Ureña became only the sixth pitcher in Marlins history to record consecutive sub-4.00 ERA seasons.
Detroit Tigers Era (2019–2021)
Ureña opened the 2019 season by becoming the eighth pitcher in Marlins history to make consecutive Opening Day starts. After an 0–3 start, he posted eight quality starts over his next nine outings, going 4–3 with a 2.95 ERA in that span before a herniated disc in his lower back put him on the injured list on June 7, 2019. On November 30, 2020, he was designated for assignment by the Marlins following the acquisition of Adam Cimber, and he was non-tendered on December 2, 2020, becoming a free agent.
On December 23, 2020, Ureña signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the Detroit Tigers and earned a spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation to begin the 2021 season. After three losses to start the year, he earned his first victory as a Tiger on April 27, 2021, allowing one earned run in seven innings in a 5–2 win over the Chicago White Sox. On May 2, 2021, he became the first Tigers pitcher since David Price in 2015 to record four consecutive starts of at least seven innings while allowing two runs or fewer, though poor run support limited his win total. He finished 2021 with a 4–8 record and a 5.81 ERA in 26 games (18 starts) for Detroit.
Journeyman Years (2022–2024)
On March 29, 2022, Ureña signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and had his contract selected the next day. He pitched to a 3.52 ERA in 4 relief appearances for Milwaukee before being designated for assignment on May 2, 2022, and electing free agency on May 10. On May 13, 2022, he signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, was called up to the majors on July 6, 2022, and went 3-8 with a 5.14 ERA in 17 starts. He re-signed with Colorado on November 11, 2022, on a one-year, $3 million contract with a 2024 club option, but struggled in 2023 and was released on April 27, 2023.
On May 3, 2023, Ureña signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals organization, pitching for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings before being released on August 3. On August 8, 2023, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, and his contract was purchased on September 9, when he started against the Detroit Tigers. In five starts with the White Sox, Ureña went 0-3 with a 4.10 ERA and logged 2 quality starts. On January 16, 2024, he signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, made the Opening Day roster, and went 5-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 109 innings while becoming one of only 12 players in the league to have both a quality start and a save in the same season.
Driving Style and Strengths
According to scouting reports, Ureña features an above-average fastball that has touched the upper 90s, a slurve that he throws in the 84-88 MPH range, and a changeup around 89 MPH, with above-average command at his best. He relies on power pitching and a heavy sinking two-seam fastball, but has been recognized by national writers for a history of control problems, including a major league lead in hit batters in 2017 and several high-profile incidents in which he plunked opposing hitters.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ureña’s signature moments include consecutive Opening Day starts for the Miami Marlins in 2018 and 2019, a complete game against the Washington Nationals in 2018, and a perfect-game bid broken up in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers on June 5, 2024. In 2025, he tied the major league record for most franchises played for in a single season, appearing with five clubs, sharing the record with Mike Baumann (2024), Oliver Drake (2018), and Bobo Leonard (1924).
José Ureña Career Wins
Across his MLB career, José Miguel Ureña Rodríguez has piled up wins as both a starter and a reliever, peaking with a 14-win season in 2017 for the Miami Marlins. He has also been used in late-inning relief, including a four-inning save against the Kansas City Royals on June 23, 2024, for the Texas Rangers.
Major League Highlights
Ureña’s most productive run came with the Marlins from 2017 through 2019, when he served as a regular member of the starting rotation. After his time in Miami, he continued to log wins in shorter stints with the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels, picking up victories as a starter and in long relief.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of his major league stops, Ureña has put together productive stretches in the minor leagues, including a 13-win season in 2014 and a 2.89 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Syracuse in 2025. In 2025, his combined major league line of 44–78 with a 4.75 ERA and 669 strikeouts reflects a long career spent primarily as a power arm in starting and relief roles.
José Ureña Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information on José Miguel Ureña Rodríguez’s immediate family is limited, with no widely reported details on parents or siblings available from verified sources. As with many Dominican prospects, he entered professional baseball as a teenager through the international signing system, signing with the Florida Marlins in 2009 at age 17.
Personal Life
Ureña’s personal life is kept largely private, and verified public information about a spouse or children is not currently available. He has spent the bulk of his career based in the United States while continuing to represent the Dominican Republic as his home country.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a whirlwind year for Ureña, as he moved between organizations at a remarkable pace. He opened the year in the minor leagues with the New York Mets organization, was added to the active roster on April 27, and was designated for assignment the following day after a shaky debut in which he allowed five earned runs in three innings. He cleared waivers and elected free agency on May 1.
On May 5, 2025, Ureña signed a one-year, major league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, posting a 3.65 ERA across 12+1/3 innings in six appearances before being designated for assignment on May 31. He moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 3, made two appearances, and was designated for assignment on June 10. On June 24, he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, was selected to the active roster on August 1, and went 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA in four appearances before being designated for assignment on August 23. He closed the major league season with the Los Angeles Angels, signing on August 31 and tying the major league record for most franchises played for in a single season when he debuted on September 5. With another NPB move lined up for 2026, Ureña’s 2025 performance highlighted both his durability and his value as a versatile arm willing to move between starting and relief roles.