Local baseball coach/relief pitcher Joe Beimel promoted to El Paso Chihuahuas

EL PASO, Texas - Joe Beimel won't need to worry about housing arrangements for the next spot on his comeback tour. That's because he'll be able to live at home with his promotion to San Diego Padres' Triple AAA affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas.

Beimel, who runs local baseball clinic Beimel Elite Athletics at The Base facility in El Paso, announced his return to competitive baseball on June 11th and signed a minor league pact with the San Diego Padres.

In 17 appearances with Double AA San Antonio, Beimel has pitched to a 2.21 ERA with 16 strikeouts. Now, his steady performance out of the bullpen in Double AA has earned him a promotion and a trip home to El Paso.

It's the latest advancement in what has been an incredible story for the 44-year old Beimel, who pitched 13 seasons in the MLB with seven different teams.

Beimel earned looks from MLB teams after he touched 90+ miles per hour on his fastball in a May appearance against the Team Israel National while playing for a group of El Paso All-Stars in Arizona.

With the MLB-level Padres dealing with injuries to the pitching staff, a strong showing with the Chihuahuas could earn Beimel a return to the show sooner rather than later.

But first, he'll no doubt have a cheering section when the Chihuahuas return home for their next homestand.