Bridgewater, NJ – The Somerset Patriots have signed Major League left-handed pitcher Logan Darnell for the 2017 season.

“After all the great things I have heard, I am really looking forward to coming to Somerset,” said Darnell. I have spoken to a lot of players like [Eric] Farris and Buddy [Boshers] and everyone I have talked to loved it there. It was an easy decision when the opportunity presented itself.”

Darnell enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The southpaw made his Major League debut with the Minnesota Twins on May 6, 2014, where he limited the Cleveland Indians to three scoreless innings without and hit and one strikeout. Overall, Darnell made seven appearances (four starts) with the Twins in 2014 and struck out 22 batters over 24 innings of work.

The Greenbrier, Tennessee resident has spent each of the past two seasons (and a majority of 2014) in the Twins organization with Triple-A Rochester. Last year, Darnell went 8-8 with a 3.53 ERA over 18 starts as a teammate of 2015 Somerset Patriots reliever Buddy Boshers. The previous season, he went 5-1 with a 2.78 ERA over 35 appearances (seven starts).

In 2014, prior to being called up by the Twins, Darnell impressed with a 3.60 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 115 innings of work at Rochester.

“We are proud to be joined by Logan this year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Logan has put up some fairly dominant numbers in the minor leagues while on his path to the majors. We feel he is a very polished pitcher who has a chance to be a solid starter for our club. Logan is a strike-thrower that the defense will love playing behind. We hope he can come in, compete and get another chance at the big leagues.”

The 2010 sixth-round pick from the University of Kentucky owns a 54-46 record with a 3.81 ERA over his seven-year minor league career.
Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. TD Bank Ballpark will be the host of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 12^th. For more information, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 36 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.