# Matt Sauer

Matthew David Sauer (born January 21, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals.

## Career
### Amateur career

Sauer attended Righetti High School in Santa Maria, California. As a senior, he went 9–1 with a 0.98 earned run average (ERA) and 142 strikeouts. He committed to the University of Arizona to play college baseball.

### New York Yankees

The New York Yankees selected Sauer in the second round, with the 54th overall selection, of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. Sauer officially signed with the Yankees on June 24. and was assigned to the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Yankees, where he spent the whole 2017 season, posting an 0–2 record with a 5.40 ERA in 11+2⁄3 innings pitched. In 2018, he pitched with the Low–A Staten Island Yankees where he went 3–6 with a 3.90 ERA in 13 starts and 67 innings.
Sauer spent 2019 with the Single–A Charleston RiverDogs, but pitched only 8+2⁄3 innings due to injury. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sauer split the 2021 season between the Single–A Tampa Tarpons and the High–A Hudson Valley Renegades, appearing in 23 games (21 starts) and going 5–6 with a 4.69 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 111+1⁄3 innings.
Sauer began the 2022 season with Hudson Valley and was promoted to the Double–A Somerset Patriots in August. He struck out 17 batters in a game on August 25. Sauer finished the year making 22 starts and logging a 4.54 ERA with 134 strikeouts across 109 innings pitched. He spent the 2023 season with Somerset also briefly appearing for Hudson Valley, and the rookie–level Florida Complex League Yankees. In 14 games (13 starts) for Somerset, Sauer registered a 6–5 record and 3.41 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 74 innings pitched. After the 2023 season, Sauer pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.

### Kansas City Royals

On December 6, 2023, the Kansas City Royals selected Sauer from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft. On March 23, 2024, manager Matt Quatraro announced that Sauer had made Kansas City's Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher who can pitch multiple innings. In 14 appearances for the Royals, he struggled to a 7.71 ERA with 9 strikeouts across 16+1⁄3 innings pitched. On May 20, Sauer was designated for assignment following the promotion of Sam Long.

### New York Yankees (second stint)

On May 26, 2024, the Royals returned Sauer to the New York Yankees organization. He was subsequently assigned to the Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. In 27 appearances split between Scranton and the Double–A Somerset Patriots, he accumulated a 3–2 record and 6.12 ERA with 30 strikeouts across 32+1⁄3 innings pitched. Sauer elected free agency following the season on November 4.

### Los Angeles Dodgers

On December 16, 2024, Sauer signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was added to the 40-man roster and called up to the majors on March 18. However, he did not appear in the one game he was active for in the Tokyo Series and was optioned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets to begin the minor league season.

## Personal life

Sauer's parents are David and Tami. His mother was born on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. Sauer met his future wife Reagan in middle school, and they also attended the same high school. Sauer is a Christian, and has attributed the strength of his faith to former minor league roommates Gary Whitlock and Glenn Otto.