Seven thousand, three hundred and forty two days.

In number form: 7,342 days.

That’s how much time has passed between Rich Hill‘s MLB debut on June 15, 2005 and Tuesday, when the veteran left-hander is set to make his return to the big leagues.

And both games came in the same place: The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.

The 45-year-old Hill is being called up to start Tuesday night for the Kansas City Royals against the Chicago Cubs, the team he originally began his career with.

Rich Hill is scheduled to start tonight against the Cubs.

He made his first career start almost 20 years ago on July 25, 2005 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tmqa5AImFP

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 22, 2025

The Royals will be the 14th different MLB team Hill has pitched for, tying an MLB record with Edwin Jackson (another former Cub).

Rich Hill faced Jamie Moyer

Moyer faced Steve Carlton

Carlton pitched in the same game as Warren Spahn

Spahn faced Satchel Paige

Paige was a teammate of Bill Gatewood, who was born in 1881

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 21, 2025

Two degrees of Rich Hill separation that may make you feel old.

Hill made his MLB debut in 2005 with the Cubs.

Oldest player on that ’05 Cubs team? RHP Mike Remlinger.

Remlinger made his debut in 1991 with the Giants, where he was teammates with 42-year-old Rick Rueschel.

— Alex Cohen (@voiceofcohen2) July 22, 2025

Many Cubs fans will remember Hill, who spent four seasons with the Cubs at the beginning of his career from 2005-08. He was a fourth-round pick by the Cubs in the 2002 MLB Draft and emerged as one of the organization’s top pitching prospects before his debut in 2005.

His best season in Chicago came in 2007, when he went 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 3.4 WAR in 32 starts (195 innings).

The Baltimore Orioles purchased Hill from the Cubs in February 2009, ending his tenure on the North Side.

Since then, he has appeared in the big leagues with the Orioles, Red Sox (three different times), Indians/Guardians, Angels, Yankees, A’s, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, Mets, Pirates and Padres.

Hill last pitched in the majors in 2024, when he made four relief appearances for the Red Sox.

Upon hearing the news that Hill was slated to start Tuesday at Wrigley Field, baseball fans have unleashed their awe and some of their favorite Hill facts:

I saw Cubs rookie pitcher Rich Hill toss a gem at Wrigley for my 16th birthday in August 2006. Long, long time ago. Some context – the original iPhone wouldn’t be announced for another 5 months. pic.twitter.com/B8WOHCu5Xb

— Blake Gamble (@Blakes_Takes) July 22, 2025

And check out the names in the lineup for the Cubs and Marlins in Hill’s MLB debut:

RICH HILL IS PITCHING AT WRIGLEY TOMORROW! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. THIS WAS THE CUBS LINEUP WHEN RICH HILL MADE HIS MLB DEBUT AS A RP (June 15, 2005):

1. Neifí Pérez – SS
2. Corey Patterson – CF
3. Derrek Lee – 1B
4. Jeromy Burnitz – RF
5. Aramis Ramírez – 3B
6. Todd Walker – 2B…

— OBVIOUS SHIRTS® (@obvious_shirts) July 21, 2025

Rich Hill made his MLB debut on June 15, 2005 for the Cubs against the Marlins at Wrigley

He faced Luis Castillo, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Delgado, Mike Lowell, Paul Lo Duca & Juan Encarnacion

Here’s who appeared in the game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YlgeGAzZqB

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 21, 2025

Here are some other fun Rich Hill facts:

—His first career MLB start came the day before Greg Maddux picked up his 3,000th career strikeout.

–In that same outing (Hill’s first start), it was none other than Marquee Sports Network analyst Ryan Dempster who ultimately picked up the win when the Cubs walked off the Giants on a Jeromy Burnitz sacrifice fly.

–Hill’s first start came 16 days after Adam Greenberg was hit in the head during his MLB debut.

–Gas was $2.28 per gallon when Hill made his first start.

–In July 2005, the No. 1 movie in the U.S. was “Charlie and Chocolate Factory.”

–Dusty Baker was managing the Cubs in 2005, Hill’s first season. Current Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker helped win a World Series in Houston with Baker as the manager in 2022.

And here’s the most shocking fact of them all:

–On the date of Hill’s first start, Ryne Sandberg’s jersey had yet to be retired by the Cubs. That came a month later (Aug. 28, 2005).