Luis Contreras #73

A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Contreras was originally signed as an international free agent by the Cubs at the age of 18 on April 4, 2015...Did not appear in a single game with the Cubs before being released in May 2016...Contreras relocated from his native Venezuela to the United States in 2017 after his father, Pablo, received a visa that covered himself, along with his family, through the United States’ diversity visa program...The program issues visas through a lottery system and, according to the U.S. Department of State, there were more than 12.4 million qualified applications for the program in 2017, with just 50,000 visas distributed...Contreras moved to Miami to work as a pitching instructor upon his move to the U.S...Resurfaced on the pro circuit again in 2018 in the independent Empire Baseball League, which is a five-team summer league in Upstate New York...Pitched for the league champions, the Puerto Rican Islanders, in 2018, posting a 3-1 record and a 1.74 ERA (11 ER/57 IP) in 11 games (seven starts)…Moved on to the Eastside Diamond Hoppers in the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL) in 2019...Impressed with 39 strikeouts in 23.0 innings across five games (four starts) in 2019...The United Shore Professional Baseball League is an independent league based out of Utica, Michigan...The league has been in existence since 2016, has graduated 52 players to Minor League Baseball...Including Contreras, six players from the league have gone on to reach the Majors: RHP Randy Wynne (CIN), OF Joey Wiemer (MIL), LHP Jared Koenig (OAK), RHP Logan Gillaspie (BAL) and RHP Randy Dobnak (MIN)…Spent parts of five seasons (2019-23) in the Brewers' Minor League system before reaching free agency following the 2023 season...Made his MLB debut on June 23, 2024 vs. BAL and was joined by fellow reliever LHP Bryan King, who also made his big league debut in the game...The duo became the first Astros pitchers to make their MLB debuts in the same game since RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez and RHP Andre Scrubb did so on July 28, 2020 vs. LAD...Signed by Houston as a Minor League free agent with an invite to MLB Spring Training on Nov. 26, 2023...Received his second career invite to Major League Spring Training in 2025.

2024

In his first season with the Astros organization, made his MLB debut and appeared in five games across two big league stints, while also posting dominant numbers with Triple-A Sugar Land, where he spent the bulk of his year...Made his MLB debut on June 23 vs. BAL, tossing a scoreless inning of relief...Posted a 9.00 ERA (six ER/six IP) with six strikeouts through his five MLB appearances in his debut season...Picked up his first MLB strikeouts vs. former Astro and six-time All-Star J.D. Martinez on June 28 at NYM...Tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts on July 2 at TOR, setting his single-game career highs in innings and strikeouts...Had his contract selected from Triple-A on June 16 and was optioned on June 20...Was recalled on June 22 and optioned back to Triple-A on July 6...Made 47 appearances with Triple-A Sugar Land, going 4-1 with a 1.74 ERA (nine ER/46.2 IP), a .144 opponent batting average and 50 strikeouts, while also logging two saves...Recorded the lowest ERA and opponent batting average among Pacific Coast League pitchers with at least 40 innings...Notched 15 holds with Triple-A Sugar Land, the second-most among all MiLB pitchers...Did not surrender a hit for 11 consecutive appearances from July 14-Aug. 22, the most consecutive hitless appearances from a Triple-A pitcher in 2024.

2023

For the second straight year split his 2023 season between Triple-A Nashville and Double-A Biloxi, compiling a 4-3 record with a 4.55 ERA (32ER/63.1IP) in 39 relief appearances...Started and finished his season at Nashville with a 13-game stint at Biloxi...Combined to strike out 90 hitters in 63.1 innings.

2022

Went 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 35 games with Double A Biloxi (26) and Triple A Nashville (9) in 2022… began season with Biloxi…had two stints with Sounds (June 30-July 25 and Sept. 8-end of season)...spent June 6-15 on 7-day injured list...tossed a scoreless inning in his Triple A debut on July 1 vs. Indianapolis...held left-handed batters to a .139 average (10x72) with 33 strikeouts with Biloxi...following the season, made six appearances for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League (8ER/6IP)... also went 3-2 with a 5.79 ERA (9ER/14IP) in 15 appearances with Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League after the season.

2021

Went 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in three games (all starts) with Double A Biloxi in 2021…struck out a career high 11 on May 16 vs. Mississippi (4IP)...placed on the injured list on May 27 and missed rest of season.

2020

Did not appear in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League season.

2019

Began the 2019 season with the East Side Diamond Hoppers of the independent United Shore League... after signing with the Brewers, went 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 16 games (four starts) between Arizona League Brewers Gold (9), Single A Wisconsin (6) and Double A Biloxi (1)…pitched 3.0 scoreless innings in Brewers organization debut on June 21 vs. AZL Dodgers Lasorda...tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in Double A debut on Sept. 2 at Birmingham...held left-handed batters to a .128 average (5x39) with 10 strikeouts with Wisconsin.