relief pitcher
Americannoun
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a pitcher brought into a game to replace another pitcher, often in a critical situation.
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a pitcher regularly so used, as opposed to one who regularly starts games.
noun
Etymology
Origin of relief pitcher
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One thing is certain — Mets relief pitcher Jefry Yan got everyone’s attention with his high-flying, post-strikeout celebration during his MLB debut on Wednesday in Cleveland against the Guardians.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Or, if that metaphor doesn’t appeal to you, how about a late-inning relief pitcher warming up in the bullpen?
From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2026
The San Diego Padres picked a former relief pitcher who began on the other side of the hiring process as a member of the front office, only to become a candidate for the job himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
It features relief pitcher Roki Sasaki and Smith embracing after the Dodgers clinched the National League pennant, with the slogan “On the Double.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
"Do you want to call for a relief pitcher, Prescott?"
From The High School Pitcher Dick & Co. on the Gridley Diamond by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
