"[It's] just a journey, just going through the Minor Leagues as a shortstop, that didn't work out. And they gave me a new, second life to be a pitcher," said Givens, speaking at the MLB/MLBPA's Rookie Career Development Program in Virginia over the weekend. "And I took that as God's gift to be able to still play baseball. So I took it and ran with it."
Even Givens, Baltimore's second-round pick in the 2009 Draft, wasn't expecting to reach the Majors so soon.
"I was definitely surprised," said the right-hander, who turns 26 on May 13. "But at the same time, having a mentor [director of pitching development] Rick Peterson, [Double-A Bowie pitching coach] Alan Mills and all the pitching coaches that when I started got me over this hump and rushed to get me to the big leagues, that really helped.