Rubén Darío Tejada is a Panamanian professional baseball infielder for the Saint Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball.
Background
Tejada was born in Santiago de Veraguas in western Panama to Rubén, Senior, a mechanic, and Donaji Tejada, a secretary. Tejada grew up mere feet away from Omar Torrijos Herrera Stadium where his father was also a pitcher for Los Indios de Veraguas.
Career
He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. Tejada also has a younger brother, Ernie. In 2001, Tejada played for the Santiago de Veraguas Little League team which represented the Latin American region at the Little League World Series.
In 2003, at 13 years old, Tejada began playing for Los Indios de Veraguas’ junior team as a pitcher.
Minor leagues
Tejada signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2006. He debuted in professional baseball in 2007.
He has played for the Gulf Coast Mets, Venezuela Mets, Saint Lucie Mets and Binghamton Mets. He also played for the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League.
New York Mets
= 2010 Tejada was invited to spring training with the Mets in 2010.
He was the youngest position player on the Mets Opening Day roster since Tim Foli in 1971. On April 7, 2010 he made his major league debut and went 0-for-2 with a HBP in 3 Plate Appearances. On April 9, 2010 he recorded his first major league hit off the Washington Nationals" Tyler Walker.
On June 4, 2010 the Mets re-called up Tejada to replace Luis Castillo.
With the activation of Luis Castillo from the Doctor of Laws on July 19, 2010, the Mets optioned Tejada to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He hit.212 in 104 at-bats with the Mets.
He was re-called on August 7, after Alex Cora was released and Jesús Feliciano was demoted to Triple A Buffalo Bisons. On September 5, 2010 in the seventh inning Tejada hit his first major league home run off Cubs pitcher Marcos Mateo on the first pitch.
= 2011 On May 17, 2011 Tejada was called up to play second base, thus moving Justin Turner to third base for the injured David Wright.
He ended the season with a.284 batting average in 328 at-bats. = 2012 Once Jose Reyes signed with the Miami Marlins, Rubén Tejada became the New York Mets starting shortstop for the 2012 season. On August 1, 2012, Tejada hit his second home run in the majors against Matt Cain of the Giants, his first home run since September 5, 2010.
= 2013 Tejada was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quad and called up shortstop Omar Quintanilla from the Mets triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s to take his spot on the roster.
After Quintanilla"s unexpected performance however, the Mets optioned Tejada to Las Vegas. = 2015 Tejada suffered a broken right fibula in the second game of the 2015 NLDS vs the Dodgers as a result of Chase Utley sliding into him.
Utley did not aim for the base but rather right at Tejada to break up a double play "in violation of Official Baseball Rule 5.09 (a) (13), which is designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base." Utley was suspended for two games as a result. On March 15, 2016, Tejada was placed on waivers by the Mets.
He was released the next day after clearing waviers.
Saint Louis Cardinals
On March 19, 2016, Tejada signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million with the Saint Louis Cardinals. International play
Tejada played for Panama"s national baseball team during the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament.