Rex Brothers


Rex Colman Brothers is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. After playing college baseball at Lipscomb University, Brothers was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 2009 MLB draft. He debuted with the Rockies in 2011 and played for them until 2015. He also played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves.

College

Brothers played baseball for Lipscomb University. In 2007, he was named conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore in 2008, he helped the team make its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The following season, he had a school-record 132 strikeouts. In 2007, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and returned to the league in 2008 to play for the Falmouth Commodores.

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

Brothers was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the 2009 amateur draft, and he signed with the team on July 9. He then spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons in the minor leagues. In 2011, Brothers made his major league debut with the Rockies on June 6. He finished the season with a 1–2 win–loss record, a 2.88 earned run average, and 59 strikeouts in 40.2 innings in the majors. In 2012, he went 8–2 with a 3.86 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.
On June 14,, in a 5–4 win over the San Francisco Giants, Brothers became the 71st pitcher in Major League history to strike out three batters on only nine pitches in one inning. It was also the first immaculate inning in Colorado Rockies franchise history and the first at AT&T Park. In order in the eighth inning, he faced Michael Morse, Brandon Crawford, and Gregor Blanco to strike out the side. In 2014, he went 4–6 with a 5.59 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 56.1 innings.
Brothers was designated for assignment by the Rockies after the 2015 season.

Chicago Cubs

On November 25, 2015, Brothers was traded to the Chicago Cubs for minor league pitcher Wander Cabrera. He was released on March 10, 2016.

Atlanta Braves

On February 3, 2017, after not pitching in baseball in 2016, Brothers signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. On June 29, the Braves promoted Brothers to the major leagues. He made 27 appearances, accumulating an ERA of 7.23 in innings. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Braves for the 2018 season in November 2017. He was outrighted to the Gwinnett Stripers on April 25, 2018. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

New York Yankees

On December 17, 2018, Brothers signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees. He received an invitation to spring training in 2019 as a non-roster player in 2019. He became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Second Stint with Chicago Cubs

On January 22, 2020, Brothers signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Personal life

Brothers was born to Andy and Carol Brothers in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on December 18, 1987. He has one brother, Hunter, and one sister, Cortney. Brothers attended Shelbyville Central High School. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 210 pounds. Hunter was also a pitcher at Lipscomb and was drafted by the Rockies in the 30th round of the 2014 MLB draft. He spent two seasons on the rookie level Grand Junction Rockies before being released