| Matt Foster | |
| Team: | Chicago White Sox |
| Number: | 63 |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 27 January 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Valley, Alabama, U.S. |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 1 |
| Debutyear: | 2020 |
| Debutteam: | Chicago White Sox |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | August 16, 2024 |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 9–4 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 4.35 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 114 |
| Teams: |
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Matthew James Foster (born January 27, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020.
Foster attended Valley High School in Valley, Alabama. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2013 MLB draft, but did not sign.[1] He attended Gulf Coast State College for two years (2014-2015).[2] He then transferred to the University of Alabama, and played for the Crimson Tide for the 2016 season.[3] Foster was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 20th round of the 2016 MLB draft.
Foster split the 2016 season between the Arizona League White Sox and the Great Falls Voyagers, going a combined 0–0 with a 0.61 ERA over innings. He split the 2017 season between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Winston-Salem Dash, going a combined 0–2 with a 1.30 ERA over innings.[4] He played for the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League following the 2017 season.[5] He split the 2018 season between Winston-Salem and the Birmingham Barons, going a combined 2–5 with a 3.30 ERA over 60 innings.[6] [7] [8] He split the 2019 season between Birmingham and the Charlotte Knights, going a combined 4–1 with a 3.20 ERA over innings.[9]
On November 20, 2019, the White Sox added Foster to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[10] On July 29, 2020, Foster was called up to the major leagues.[11] He made his MLB debut on August 1, pitching a scoreless inning of relief and earning a win in the process.[12] With the 2020 Chicago White Sox, Foster appeared in 23 games, compiling a 6–1 record with 2.20 ERA and 31 strikeouts in innings pitched.[13]
Foster struggled in 2021 as he was in and out of Triple-A in that season. Foster appeared in just 37 games in the Major Leagues compiling a 2–1 record with a 6.00 ERA in 39 innings while striking out 40 batters. In 2022, Foster made 48 appearances for Chicago, working to a 1–2 record and 4.40 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 45.0 innings pitched.
On March 20, 2023, Foster was shut down after it was revealed he had a forearm strain in his throwing arm.[14] On April 21, it was announced that Foster had undergone Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire 2023 season.[15]
On August 16, 2024, Foster was activated from the injured list to make his return from surgery.[16]