Tanner Rainey


Tanner Scott Rainey is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2018.

Career

Rainey attended St. Paul's School in Covington, Louisiana. He played college baseball at Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of West Alabama as a pitcher and first baseman. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds as a pitcher in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft.

Cincinnati Reds

Rainey signed with the Reds, made his professional debut with the Billings Mustangs, and spent the whole season there, pitching to a 2-2 record and 4.27 ERA in 15 starts. He pitched 2016 with the Dayton Dragons and was 5-10 with a 5.57 ERA in 29 games, and 2017 with the Daytona Tortugas and Pensacola Blue Wahoos, compiling a combined 3-3 record and 3.19 ERA in 53 relief appearances along with 104 strikeouts in 62 innings. The Reds invited him to spring training in 2018.
On April 10, 2018, Rainey's contract was purchased by the Reds. He made his major league debut that same day against the Philadelphia Phillies, pitching one inning of relief and giving up a grand slam to Scott Kingery.

Washington Nationals

On December 12, 2018, the Reds traded Rainey to the Washington Nationals for Tanner Roark. Rainey was called up to the Nationals from the Class-AAA Fresno Grizzlies on May 18, 2019, and swiftly became one of manager Dave Martinez's go-to relievers. He earned his first career win in relief on June 1, beating Roark and the Reds at Great American Ball Park. In 2019 he was 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 52 relief appearances, as he struck out 74 batters in 48.1 innings. The Nationals finished the 2019 year with a 93-69 record, clinched a wild card spot, and won the World Series over the Houston Astros.