Daniel Norris

At 31 years old, Daniel Norris has this physical status:

Daniel David Norris (born April 25, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He appeared in baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays previously.

Personal life

Norris is a Christian. "I know God has a dream no matter what," Norris said. My success has no longer defined how I live and die. My faith in God guides me in life and death. Everything after that is just an added blessing."

Norris' family has operated a bike shop in Johnson City, Tennessee, for more than 80 years. Norris lives by choice in a 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia van dubbed "Shaggy" and has raised eyebrows in MLB. Norris' assistant general manager, Tony LaCava, said of him prior to the 2015 season: "He takes care of himself as well as anyone else" has. He's in great shape. He competes on the octagon. If that wasn't the case, perhaps we'd be more worried about some of the other stuff. The van and all that is secondary right now. He has a great reputation, and his people are all about him."

Norris lives off just $800 a month despite his $2 million signing bonus. When asked why he chooses to live so conservatively, he says no. "Who am I to blame for this?" He asked back.

What have I really done?"

"I'm actually more comfortable being poor," he said, since it helps him to maintain a minimalist lifestyle and avoid conformity.

Norris revealed on Twitter on October 19, 2015, that he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He was diagnosed in April and with a doctor's permission, he continued playing and delayed therapy until the end of the season. Following a successful surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his thyroid, Norris declared himself cancer free on October 29.

Photography is one of Norris' hobbies. He purchased professional photographer Ben Moon's Canon EF 85mm portrait lens during the 2015 season, and the two became best friends. The two couples went on a road trip together in the offseason, from Norris' home state to Oregon, where Moon is based. Moon has turned a video from the trip into a short film titled "Offseason."

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Minor league career

In the second round (74th overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft, the Blue Jays selected Norris. Prior to the 2012 season, Baseball America named Norris as the 91st best prospect in baseball. On July 26, 2013, when the updated Top 100 Prospects list was announced, he was ranked as the best prospect in the Blue Jays minor leagues.

Norris began his playing time with the Rookie-Advanced Blue Jays and Low-A Vancouver Canas in 2012, where he pitched to a combined 2–4 record, an earned run average (ERA) of 8.44, and a 1.78 walks per inning pitched ratio.

Norris played for the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts and High-A Dunedin Blue Jays for two seasons in 2013, but he made a significant leap with his ERA, which dropped to 3.97.

Norris made his first appearance in Dunedin on February 1, 2014, and set a new record of 0.80 in his first nine starts. He was named as the Month of May Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Month on June 3, 2014. To win the award, he had a 1–0 record and a 0.68 ERA over 5 starts. After averaging a 6–0 record, 1.22 ERA, and 1.025 WHIP in 13 starts with Dunedin, he was called up to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats on June 15, he was named up to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a 13-starts. In the 2014 All-Star Futures Game, Norris was a participant.

He was deemed the Blue Jays' top prospect and the 25th overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America in 2014. Norris, a 3–1 win-loss record, was set in New Hampshire, and he was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on August 7. Norris won the game, pitching six innings against the Durham Bulls, but gave up only two hits in a rehabilitation assignment for the Tampa Bay Rays, finishing out 10 out 10. He had a career-best 13 over 533 runs in his first appearance, making him the first pitcher in Bisons history to get back to back starts with at least 10 strikeouts. On August 21, Norris pitched five innings and claimed his third victory in three attempts against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He struck out nine, walked three, and gave up one hit, a home run, on his first appearance. Although rumors had suggested that the Blue Jays were supposed to transfer Norris to the bullpen following his third Triple-A season, they later revealed on August 22 that they would keep him in a starter's role. With a 2.53 ERA and 163 strikeouts over 1242–3 innings, he tied for a 12–2 record in 2014 with a 12.2 ERA and 163 strikeouts over 12423 innings. On September 3, Baseball America announced him as one of their First Team All-Stars for 2014. On September 26, he was announced to the MLB All-Prospect Team.

Major league career

Norris was drafted to the Blue Jays on September 1, 2014 as part of the September roster expansion. On September 5, he made his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox, beating out David Ortiz. Norris will get off to a good start in the major leagues on September 25, according to Blue Jays manager John Gibbons on September 23. He will pitch 2–3 innings. Norris pitched 31 innings and gave 2 earned runs on 1 hit, 2 walks, and 2 walks, while striking out 1. Norris's 2014 season was a record set for the Blue Jays, with 5 strikeouts, and a 1.50 WHIP.

Norris underwent arthroscopic surgery on October 7, 2014, to remove bone spurs and loose bodies from his left (pitching) elbow.

Norris was rated by MLB as the third-best LHP prospect in baseball on January 21, 2015. Norris, the best prospect in baseball, and the fifth best prospect overall, was named in 2015. He debuted the Blue Jays in the starting rotation in 2015. Norris was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on May 1 after his fifth appearance.

Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt were traded to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for David Price on July 30, 2015. Norris pitched 713 innings and struck out five Baltimore Orioles hitters in his debut for the Tigers on August 2, allowing one walk, four hits, and just one earned run on a solo home run by Chris Davis in the fourth inning. Norris retired the next 12 batters in a row in a 6–1 victory over Davis following the home run.

Norris made his first appearance in his first plate appearance since Tommy Milone in 2011 and the first American League pitcher to do so since Esteban Yan in 2000. He was also the first Tigers pitcher to homer since Jason Johnson did so on June 8, 2005, and the first American League pitcher to reach a regular-season home run at Wrigley Field. Norris was forced to leave the game in the fifth inning with a right oblique strain and was placed on the disabled list the next day.

On September 16, Norris was removed from the disabled list. In his second start after returning from injury, he threw five perfect innings in a September 22 game against the Chicago White Sox, but was suspended from the game due to a predetermined pitch number. In the ninth inning, the Tigers lost their bid for a complete no-hitter after Neftali Feliz, the fifth pitcher, forfeited a triple to Tyler Saladino.

Norris dropped out of the 2015 season (combined stats between Toronto and Detroit) with a 3-2 record in 13 starts, a 4.75 ERA, and 45 strikeouts in 60 innings.

Norris will debut the 2016 season on the disabled list, according to a lower back injury suffered during spring training, and the Tigers announced it on March 24, 2016. He was recalled to the Tigers on May 11, 2016, but he appeared against the Baltimore Orioles on May 12 but only on May 12 before being recalled to AAA Toledo. Following Matt Boyd's dismissal, Norris was recalled on June 21 and made his first appearance of the 2016 season on June 23. Norris was suspended from the game after pitching two innings plus one batter against the Cleveland Indians on July 4th. He was later diagnosed with an oblique strain, the same injury he suffered in late 2015, and was put on the disabled list for the third time in his career. On August 9, Norris returned to the Mound for the Tigers to begin a match against the Seattle Mariners. Norris struck out a career-high 11 batters in just 6+13 innings during a September 12 game against the Minnesota Twins. Norris made 13 starts for the Tigers in 2016, finishing the season with a 4–2 record and a 3.38 ERA, and a 3.9 ERA, while striking out 71 batters in 69+13 innings.

Despite scoring out 86 batters in his first innings of his young career (101+220). Norris took a step backward in 2017, posting a 5–8 record and a 5.31 ERA. During the season, Norris suffered with hip and quadriceps, and he admitted to digging a "deeper hole" by trying to return from a DL stint too soon.

Norris was a long-server who began the season in the bullpen. On April 29, he got a spot to start on April 29, but he was forced to leave the game in the third inning due to groin tightness, which he has been struggling with since 2017. The Tigers put him on the 10-day disabled list the next day, marking his fourth straight season on the DL since the Tigers acquired him. The injury was revealed a day earlier, and Norris would miss 8 to 12 weeks. On May 8, he was added to the 60-day disabled list. Norris returned from the disabled list on September 1, but he was forced to leave the game in the fifth inning due to a left leg injury after giving up a 2-run home run and losing him. He was the only one struck in the home run before giving up the game. Norris never won in eight starts and three relief appearances during the 2018 season, going 0–5 with a 5.68 ERA.

The Tigers avoided arbitration with Norris on January 11, 2019 and agreed to a one-year, $1.275 million deal. Despite a 3-13 record, Norris was still in third place in games (32), starts (29), innings (144+13), and strikeouts (125). In an attempt to handle Norris' workload in the latter part of the season, the Tigers restricted him to three innings per start in the second half of the season.

The Tigers skipped arbitration with Norris on January 10, 2020, opting for a one-year contract worth $2,962,500. Norris had tested positive for COVID-19 on July 9, 2020, according to the company. Norris was later accepted to join the Opening Day roster. Norris went 3–1 with a 3.25 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 27+239 innings in 14 games during the 2020 season.

The Tigers and Norris signed a one-year, $3.475 million deal on January 15, 2021, avoiding arbitration. Norris will debut in the bullpen in 2021, according to Tigers boss A. J. Hinch on March 26. Norris was 1–3 in 38 games for the 2021 Tigers, with a 5.89 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 36+221 innings.

Norris was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league prospect Reese Olson on July 30, 2021. Norris played in 18 games for the 2021 Brewers, all in relief, compiling a 6.64 ERA in 20+1 innings.

Norris has officially committed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs on March 19, 2022. He was scheduled for service on July 17, 2022. On July 23, he was released.

Norris, 20, 2022, signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on July 26, 2022. Norris was then assigned to the Toledo Mud Hens on July 27, 2022. Norris, 20,22, was called up from Triple-A Toledo on August 11, 2022, with plans for him to play at least two games.

International career

On October 29, 2018, he was selected MLB All-Stars at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.

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