Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of Major League right-handed pitcher A.J. Achter. He is active for tonight’s game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

Achter enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The righty has Big League service in each of the past three seasons, including 27 relief appearances with a 1-0 record and a 3.11 ERA with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season. Achter also made 11 relief appearances with the Minnesota Twins in 2015 and seven appearances for the Twins in 2014. 

The Toledo, Ohio native owns a 2-1 record with a 3.92 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 62 innings pitched in 45 relief appearances in the majors.

Achter spent the first six seasons of his career in the Twins organization before joining the Angels in 2016 and making his way to the Detroit Tigers organization this year. He made 14 appearances with Double-A Erie earlier this year and earned one save with 24 strikeouts over 28.2 innings of work.

The Michigan State University alumnus holds an 11-10 record with a 2.79 ERA in 128 games at the Triple-A level in his career. That includes two impressive seasons as a teammate of current Somerset Patriots southpaw Logan Darnell with the Rochester Red Wings (2014-15). Achter carried a 2.38 ERA over 40 appearances with the Red Wings in 2014 before he made his MLB debut later that season.

Achter is 24-20 with a 3.11 ERA and 35 saves in 230 appearances (23 starts) over his eight-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.