Background
Juan Nicasio was born in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and grew up in nearby Arenoso, where his father, Francisco, farmed coffee and rice. His mother is Aurelia Nicasio and he has one sister, Adria.
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Juan Nicasio
Edit ProfileCareer
He previously played for the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. Colorado Rockies
= Minor leagues Nicasio signed with the Colorado Rockies at age 19. In 2006 he pitched for the DSL Rockies, going 2–1 with a 2.89 European Research Area in eight games (five starts).
With the Casper Rockies in 2007, Nicasio went 0–3 with a 4.36 European Research Area in 13 games (eight starts) and in 2008, he pitched for the Tri-City Dust Devils and went 2–4 with a 4.50 European Research Area in 12 starts.
With the Asheville Tourists in 2009, he went 9–3 with a 2.41 European Research Area in 18 starts, striking out 115 batters in 112 innings of work. He began the 2010 season with the Modesto Nuts.
= Major leagues On May 28, 2011, Nicasio was recalled from Double-A Tulsa to take Jorge de la Rosa"s rotation spot. Bruce Billings was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs to make room.
Nicasio made his debut that day, facing the Saint Louis Cardinals, pitching seven innings while giving up one unearned run.
His first major league strikeout was of Jaime García. In total, Nicasio gave up six hits, walked two, and struck out two. He made 13 starts that season with a 4–4 record and 4.14 European Research Area. On August 5, 2011, while pitching in a game against the Washington Nationals, Nicasio was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond.
Nicasio lost his balance and fractured a vertebra in his neck when he fell to the ground.
During emergency surgery, doctors inserted pins into the fractured C-1 vertebra and secured a metal place to the back of his neck. His recuperation was remarkably quick.
Eleven days after the incident, he visited the dugout at Coors Field wearing a neck brace and came out on the field to a standing ovation. He continued to improve through physical therapy, and that winter he eased back into pitching in the Dominican Republic.
Nicasio returned to the mound for the Rockies in April 2012 and made a total of 11 appearances, with a 2–3 record and 5.28 European Research Area. On June 1, 2012, he injured his left knee while fielding a ground ball.
After several attempts to drain the fluid in the knee failed, he underwent arthroscopic surgery in July and missed the remainder of the 2012 season. Nicasio came back in 2013 and made 31 starts, with a 9–9 record and 5.14 European Research Area. In 2014 he appeared in 33 games, but only 14 of them were starts. He had a 6–6 record and 5.38 European Research Area. On December 16, minor league outfielder Noel Cuevas was sent to the Rockies to complete the trade.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Nicasio signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Dodgers on January 16, 2015, to avoid salary arbitration.
Nicasio pitched out of the bullpen for the Dodgers during the 2015 season though he made a spot start in the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies at Coors Field on June 2, giving up one earned run on three hits in two innings of work. In 53 appearances, he was 1–3 with a 3.86 European Research Area. The Dodgers chose not to offer him a contract after the season and he became a free agent.
Pittsburgh Pirates
On December 10, 2015, Nicasio signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
