Freddy Galvis

Short Biography

Freddy Jose Galvis (born November 14, 1989) is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. Galvis was born in Punto Fijo, Falcón, Venezuela, and played Little League Baseball including the Little League World Series there before being discovered by one of the Phillies' scouts in the area. At age 16, he signed a contract with the Phillies despite not receiving much attention from scouts; he went on to spend the next several years in their minor league system, including a particularly lengthy stint with the Reading Phillies, the Phillies' Double-A (AA) affiliate. In 2012, he made his major league debut on opening day at second base, substituting for the injured Chase Utley. He became a fan favorite for his performance early in the season, especially on defense, until he sustained an injury, and subsequently was suspended 50 games after a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. He missed the remainder of the season. Over the course of the next two seasons, he split time between the Lehigh Valley IronPigs – the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate – and the major league ball club, but struggled to establish himself offensively. Entering 2015, his future with the club was uncertain, although with the departure of Jimmy Rollins, he was a candidate to be the team's starting shortstop.