Carlos Duran (baseball)

Carlos Daniel Duran (born July 30, 2001) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is currently a phantom ballplayer, having spent two days on the Athletics’ active roster without appearing in a game.

Carlos Duran
Athletics – No. 39
Pitcher
Born: (2001-07-30) July 30, 2001 (age 23) Nagua, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Duran signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 8, 2018, as an international amateur.^[1] He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons playing for the Dodgers affiliates in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), making 17 starts with a 1.14 ERA^[2] and earning DSL mid-season All-Star honors in 2018.^[3] Duran did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[4]

Duran was assigned to the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2021,^[2] where he was regarded as being the most prominent pitcher on the Quakes staff.^[1] However, he struggled a bit in his first season in the United States, with a 6.11 ERA in 20 appearances (18 starts) for the Quakes and allowed seven earned runs in only 7+1⁄3 innings for the High–A Great Lakes Loons^[2] following a September 1 promotion.^[3] In 2022, with Great Lakes, he made 13 starts (and one relief appearance), with a 4.25 ERA and struck out 68 batters in only 48+2⁄3 innings.^[2] His season ended early due to an elbow injury and he underwent Tommy John surgery, which cost him all of the 2023 season.^[5]

Returning from the surgery in 2024, he began with Rancho Cucamonga (seven runs in 13+2⁄3 innings), before a July promotion to the Double–A Tulsa Drillers.^[3] He made 11 starts for the Drillers, allowing 13 runs in 38+1⁄3 innings for a 3.05 ERA.^[2] He also made one fill-in start for the Triple–A Oklahoma City Baseball Club on September 14, where he allowed two runs in only 1+1⁄3 innings. He did not allow a hit but walked three and struck out three in the game.^[6]

Oakland Athletics

On April 2, 2025, Duran was traded to the Athletics in exchange for Esteury Ruiz.^[7] On April 30, he was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.^[8] Duran was optioned back to the Triple–A Las Vegas Aviators two days later without making an appearance, and became a phantom ballplayer.^[9]