BOSTON — Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez is officially an American citizen.
Jimenez, who was born in the Dominican Republic and signed at an international free agent at the age of 17, received his citizenship during a ceremony in Miami on Monday.
On his Instagram page, Jimenez posted a photo this morning of himself holding an American flag and his citizenship certificate while standing in front of a replica Statue of Liberty. "Blessed for officially being part of this beautiful country," he wrote on the post.
Over the past 12 months, the 32-year-old Jimenez has also gotten married and celebrated the birth of his first child, a daughter named Jimenvi.
Jimenez, whose three years with the Orioles have had its share of peaks and valleys, has thrown four straight quality starts, posting a 2.83 ERA over that stretch and holding opposing hitters to a .160 batting average. On the season, he is 7-11 with a 5.98 ERA.
eencina@baltsun.com
twitter.com/EddieInTheYard