Watch: Rich Hill strikes out first batter faced in return to MLB mound

Boston Red Sox veteran hurler Rich Hill made his 2024 debut in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, kicking off season No. 20 in the big leagues by striking out the first batter he faced.

Entering the game in relief of starter Kutter Crawford with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Hill immediately sat down Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho swinging on a nasty 70-mph sweeper to end the frame. He would stay in to pitch the eighth, retiring Toronto in order while notching his second strikeout before giving way to Greg Weissert in the ninth.

Hill's two-strikeout performance helped him join a rare group. Fittingly, he's only the 44th player in baseball history to register a K at 44 years or older and the first since Bartolo Colon (2017), per Stathead .

Thursday's outing was the first time Hill had stepped on an MLB mound since Oct. 1 of last year while pitching for the San Diego Padres. A free agent to start 2024, he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on Aug. 15 , beginning his fourth stint in Boston.

In Hill's only outing with Triple-A affiliate Worcester, he pitched two scoreless innings, notching a pair of strikeouts and hitting a batter. That was enough for the Red Sox, who called him up four days later.

With several pitchers on the shelf, including James Paxton, Hill could be valuable for the Red Sox as they fight for a playoff berth. Following Thursday's loss, Boston (69-65) fell 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins (72-61) for the final American League wild-card spot.