John Danks

John William Danks (born April 15, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox.

Personal life Danks graduated from Round Rock High School in Texas in 2003 and was named the co-central Texas player of the year that season. Danks was drafted in the first round, ninth overall in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft by the Texas Rangers. His brother, Jordan Danks, was his teammate on the White Sox from 2012 to 2014. Danks proposed to girlfriend, country artist Ashley Monroe of the Pistol Annies, on September 14, 2012, after Monroe finished the Annies' first show of their headlining tour. They were married on October 24, 2013.

Professional career

Minor Leagues Danks, along with pitchers Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner, was traded by the Rangers to the White Sox for pitcher Brandon McCarthy and outfielder David Paisano on December 23.

Chicago White Sox As a top prospect for the Chicago White Sox in , he was selected as the team's fifth starter in their rotation. The 72–90 White Sox provided Danks with little support in the first half of the season; he was 5–6 with an acceptable 4.62 ERA before the break. Down the stretch, Danks tired, and he was shut down for the year after a slow September start. Danks finished the second half 1–7 with a 7.11 ERA.

The White Sox opted to use Danks in the starting rotation again in 2008 and he did not disappoint. The second-year lefty pitched masterfully, ranking among the league leaders in ERA all season and taking no-hit games beyond the fifth inning on several occasions. Danks set career bests in nearly every major statistical category, finishing with a 12–9 record, 3.32 ERA (fifth in the American League) and 1.23 WHIP in 33 starts. Danks finished just short of the benchmark 200 regular-season innings, hurling 195.

Danks followed up his stellar 2008 season onto the 2009 season as he finished with a record of 13–11 in 32 starts, along with a 3.77 ERA in innings.

On May 25, 2012, Danks was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. That injury turned out to be season-ending, as he had surgery on August 6 on his left shoulder to "explore and correct issues" found there. He was hoping to come back in late September, but instead opted towards having the surgery so he could be ready for 2013 spring training. In nine starts with Chicago, he went 3–4 with a 5.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. Overall, Danks struggled through injury once again as he finished with a 4–14 record with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts.

Atlanta Braves Danks signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves in December 2016. He was released on March 20, 2017.