Former Florida Gators RHP Dane Dunning improved to 5-1 in Major League Baseball action following Tueday’s 6-4 win by his Texas Rangers over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Dunning did allow all four runs in the game on three homers and saw his ERA rise from 2.06 to 2.52. The homers were the first allowed by Dunning on the season, an impressive 48+ inning stretch to open the year.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks for the 28-year old. On May 25, Dunning and his wife Rachel welcomed their first child, Mack Anthony. The next day, Dunning’s maternal grandfather passed away in South Korea.
“It was the highest of highs and lowest of lows,” he told the media after his reinstatement from paternity leave, “but now we’ve got an angel watching over Mack.”
Dane Dunning, Wicked Back Foot Slider…Literally. 🤢
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 31, 2023
And Sword. ⚔️
Adding injury to insult… pic.twitter.com/jHw6Hebac7
Dunning has appeared in fourteen games this year and thrown 53.2 innings maintaining a 1.10 WHIP while sticking out 33 and walking 13. Once star free agent signing Jacob DeGrom went down with injury, Dunning was thrust into the rotation and has been a welcome surprise to the Rangers. Prior to his start Tuesday, it was announced that DeGrom will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
In his MLB career, he boasts a 4.14 ERA over 358.2 innings pitched. Dunning made his Major League debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and has spent the last three seasons with Texas. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the No. 29 pick of the first round in 2016 following his junior year at Florida.
With the Gators, Dunning posted a 12-6 record with a 3.26 ERA despite primarily serving in relief and midweek roles for a loaded pitching staff that featured Alex Faedo, AJ Puk, Logan Shore and several more top prospects and high draft picks.