Ghost Peppers add former MLB pitchers Sheffield and Underwood

Gastonia added former MLB pitchers Justus Sheffield and Duane Underwood Jr., a move that says as much about the Ghost Peppers’ pitching needs as it does about the names themselves. The Atlantic League and the club’s official site both framed the deal as part of Gastonia’s 2025 roster-building cycle, with the Ghost Peppers continuing to reshape the staff around experienced arms.

Sheffield gives Gastonia a left-handed starter with major-league pedigree and a track record of handling a workload. In 2024 with Sultanes de Monterrey, he made 19 appearances, went 1-7, posted a 6.75 ERA over 46.2 innings and struck out 46 batters. That profile fits a club looking for a rotation piece who can take the ball regularly, especially when an Atlantic League team needs to stabilize innings after leaning on a changing cast of arms.

Underwood brings a different kind of value. The right-hander had already shown he could cover meaningful relief work in Gastonia, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in a 5-2 win over Long Island. His broader minor-league resume is much longer, with 213 games, a 39-48 record, a 4.02 ERA and 601 strikeouts across 720.1 innings. That kind of experience matters in a league where managers often need a pitcher who can bridge multiple frames, protect a lead, or absorb damage when the staff is stretched thin.

The fit is clearer when the additions are stacked against Gastonia’s recent roster churn. Patrick Mazeika and Raynel Espinal joined the Ghost Peppers on April 21, another sign that the club was actively adding established talent rather than waiting for the roster to settle on its own. Sheffield and Underwood extend that approach, giving Gastonia another left-right combination with enough flexibility to change how games are managed from the fourth inning on.

Sheffield’s move also carried extra context after his contract was purchased by Monterrey from Gastonia on July 2, 2025, showing how quickly an Atlantic League roster can change shape once a player draws outside interest. For Gastonia, the latest additions are less about headline value than about function: one arm to help steady the rotation, another to deepen the bullpen, and both to lift the club’s ceiling as the season keeps moving.