RICHARD ZUMAYA JOINS WHITECAPS IN IOWA

RICHARD ZUMAYA JOINS WHITECAPS IN IOWA
06/11/2010 4:43 PM ET

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - A familiar name is joining the West Michigan Whitecaps on their current road trip.

Richard Zumaya, the younger brother of former Whitecap and current Detroit Tigers' flame-throwing reliever Joel Zumaya, has been added to the Whitecaps roster and will join the team for their weekend series against the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa. He is taking the roster spot of Jose Ortega, who has been promoted to the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the high Class-A Florida State League.

Although he was drafted in the 43rd round in 2007, Zumaya is still just 20-years-old and features impressive strikeout numbers. The 6-foot, 180-pounder ranked fifth among Gulf Coast League relievers with an average of 10.87 strikeouts per nine innings in 2009. That earned him a late-season promotion to Lakeland, where he finished the year with four relief appearances. Through his first three professional seasons, Zumaya has 75 strikeouts in 82.1 innings and is 1-9 with a 5.68 ERA over 42 appearances (five starts).

The Zumaya name was made famous by Richard's older brother, Joel, who burst onto the scene in 2006 and posted a 1.94 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 83.1 innings to help the Tigers to a World Series championship. The 25-year-old reliever is currently 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA through 23 appearances for Detroit in 2010. Through his first five seasons in the big leagues, Zumaya boasts a cumulative ERA of 2.93 with 207 strikeouts in 202.2 innings.

Back in 2003, Joel Zumaya flashed his future potential with 19 starts for the West Michigan Whitecaps. He went 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA while racking up 126 strikeouts in 90.1 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Ortega earns a promotion from West Michigan to Lakeland. The 21-year-old reliever from Venezuela is also a hard-thrower. He went 0-3 with one save and a 4.56 ERA in 18 appearances, striking out 22 in 25.1 innings.

The Whitecaps continue a six-game road trip to the Western Division with an 8:00 p.m. ET first pitch against the Quad Cities River Bandits on Friday, June 11. West Michigan sends RHP Ramon Lebron (4-3, 5.63) to the mound for the first game of a three-game series against RHP Deryk Hooker (2-2, 2.70) and the River Bandits. Following the road trip, the 'Caps will be back at Fifth Third Ballpark for a three-game set against the Lake County Captains that starts on Tuesday, June 15, with an all-you-can-eat food package on a Fat Tuesday and Senior Night. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.