WASHINGTON — Former Navy man Mitch Harris has made it to the majors, ready to join the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen.
The 29-year-old pitcher is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. The Hall of Fame says it believes the only Naval Academy graduate to appear in the major leagues was pitcher Nemo Gaines for the 1921 Washington Senators.
Harris is a 2008 Naval Academy graduate who had the rank of lieutenant. He was selected by the Cardinals on the 13th round of the 2008 amateur draft and started his professional baseball career in 2013.
Harris tweeted: "What a journey... the dream has come true. From Navy to MLB. Looking forward to what the future holds.
Harris, who is from Ocala, Florida, had a 1.86 ERA in eight spring training appearances for the Cardinals this year.
St. Louis placed outfielder Peter Bourjos on the paternity leave list Tuesday and selected the contract of Harris from Triple-A Memphis. The right-hander had two saves and a 2.45 ERA for Memphis this year.
St. Louis designated outfielder Gary Brown for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
