Cleavinger attended Lawrence High School in Lawrence,Kansas,graduating in 2012.[1] As a senior,he was first-team all-state,first-team All-Sunflower League,first-team all-area,Player of the Year,and named a Central Region All-American by Perfect Game.[2]
Cleavinger attended the University of Oregon and played college baseball for the Oregon Ducks. He served as the closer for the Ducks in 2015.[3] As a freshman in 2013,Cleavinger was 9–0 with a 1.24 ERA (2nd in the Pac-12 Conference) and two saves in 37 relief appearances (4th in the conference),and struck out 57 batters in 43+2⁄3 innings (averaging 11.7 strikeouts/9 innings, 4th-best in the conference).[2][4] He set an Oregon freshman records for appearances and earned run average (ERA), and held opposing batters to a .137 batting average (the lowest single-season mark by an Oregon pitcher in school history).[5] Cleavinger was named a freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger and the NCBWA (2nd Team).[2] In 2014, he was 3–2 with two saves and a 3.34 ERA in 35 relief appearances (leading the conference) while striking out 13.6 batters/9 IP (also leading the conference).[6] In 2013 and 2014, Cleavinger played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[7][8] In 2015, he was 6–2 with 9 saves (5th in the conference) and a 1.58 ERA in 37 relief appearances (5th), while leading the conference with 14.9 strikeouts/9 innings and allowing 4.5 hits/9 innings (4th).[9] Cleavinger played for the Ducks alongside future Phillies teammate, pitcher Cole Irvin.[10]
On July 28, 2017, the Orioles traded Cleavinger and Hyun-soo Kim to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Jeremy Hellickson.[13] The Phillies assigned Cleavinger to the Reading Fightin Phils. In 38 total games between Bowie and Reading in 2017, he posted a 2–5 record, a 6.00 ERA, and 59 strikeouts, in 54 innings.[14] In 2018, between Clearwater and Reading, Cleavinger was 1–1 with a 7.43 ERA, and 18 strikeouts in 13+1⁄3 innings.[14]
Cleavinger returned to Reading to begin 2019. There, he was 3–2 with a 4.35 ERA in 51+2⁄3 innings, as he had the worst walks/9 innings ratio in the Eastern League (5.9), the 4th-best strikeouts/9 innings ratio (14.5), and the 6th-best hits/9 innings ratio (5.6).[15] Cleavinger was added to the Phillies 40–man roster following the 2019 season.[16]
Cleavinger was first called up by the Phillies on September 8, 2020, but did not pitch before being sent back down.[12] Then, on September 15, he was promoted to the major leagues for the second time. Cleavinger made his MLB debut on September 17, against the New York Mets, at Citizens Bank Park.[17]
On August 1, 2022, Cleavinger was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor leaguer German Tapia.[21] He logged 13 appearances for Tampa Bay to close out the year, posting a 2.41 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched.
In 2023, Cleavinger worked out of Tampa Bay's bullpen, pitching in 15 games and recording a 3.00 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 12.0 innings of work. In a May 7 appearance against the New York Yankees, Cleavinger suffered a knee injury after tagging Aaron Hicks out in a rundown.[22] The following day, he was diagnosed with a torn ACL, an injury likely to end his season.[23]
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