Michael Francisco Pineda Paulino (born January 18, 1989) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers.

[1] Pineda signed with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) at age 16 on December 12, 2005.

Pineda pitched for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Class-A Midwest League in 2008 and had an 8–6 record with a 1.95 ERA.

[7] Back in good health in 2010, Pineda was 8–1 with a 2.22 ERA for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Class-AA Southern League with 78 strikeouts and 17 walks in 77 IP and 3–3 with a 4.76 ERA for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Class-AAA Pacific Coast League with 76 strikeouts and 17 walks in 62+1⁄3 IP.

[12] Pineda made the Mariners' starting rotation out of spring training 2011 as the number five starter, the third youngest player on a 2011 American League opening day roster after Chris Sale and Tim Collins.

[13] Pineda pitched 7+1⁄3 innings, allowed two runs, struck out seven batters, and earned his first MLB win on April 12, 2011.

In the All-Star Game, Pineda pitched one perfect inning, striking out Scott Rolen and Rickie Weeks.

[19] He recorded no wins in his final seven starts over the last two months of the year, and the Mariners cut back on his work load as a precaution against an arm injury.

[23] The Mariners traded Pineda to the New York Yankees with José Campos, for Jesús Montero and Héctor Noesí on January 13, 2012.

[10][19] The Yankees needed a top-tier starting pitcher to pair with CC Sabathia, and the Mariners felt they could afford to part with Pineda because of their depth of top-tier pitching prospects, including Danny Hultzen, James Paxton, and Taijuan Walker.

[24] Pineda was placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder at the culmination of spring training, causing him to miss the start of the 2012 season.

[36] While pitching in a simulated game during the suspension, Pineda developed a strain in his teres major muscle, which was expected to require three to four weeks to heal.

[48] During the Yankees home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 10, Pineda retired the first 20 batters until giving up a double to Evan Longoria.

[49] On July 14, Pineda was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor strain in his right elbow.

[54] On August 28, 2018, manager Paul Molitor revealed that Pineda would not pitch at all in 2018 due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

[57] Pineda pitched to a 11–5 record and a 4.01 ERA, before he received a 60-game suspension without pay for testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic commonly prescribed for blood pressure, on September 7.

[58] The suspension had been reduced from 80 to 60 games on appeal, because a compelling case was made that it was not used as a masking agent for a performance-enhancing drug.

[59] Pineda subsequently released a statement that read, in part: "I mistakenly took a medication that was given to me by a close acquaintance, who obtained it over-the-counter and assured me it would safely help me manage my weight.

[61] On September 1, 2020, Pineda returned from his suspension and led the Twins to a 3–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

[12] Pineda's fastball in 2011 averaged 94.7 miles per hour (152.4 km/h), the highest among MLB rookies with at least 100 innings pitched,[2] ranking fourth in the American League behind Alexi Ogando, Justin Verlander, and David Price.

[73] On August 20, 2012, Pineda was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol while on injury rehab in Tampa, Florida.

In the aftermath, he was fined $500, received a year of probation, and was ordered to attend DUI school plus undergo 50 hours of community service.