Robert Meiklejohn MacDougal (born March 5, 1977) is a former relief pitcher in professional baseball. He is a switch hitter and throws right-handed. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. His pitch selection include a fastball in the 95-98 mph range, a slider, curve, and a changeup used only occasionally. Amateur career Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, MacDougal graduated from Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona, and attended Wake Forest University, where he pitched for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons baseball team. In 1997, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, was named a league all-star, and returned to the league in 1998 to play with the Chatham A's. He was selected in the 22nd round (651st overall) of the 1996 Major League Baseball draft and the 17th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft by the Baltimore Orioles, but did not sign on either occasion. Professional career Kansas City Royals Following his senior season at Wake Forest, MacDougal was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the first round (25th overall) of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft, as a compensation pick from the Boston Red Sox for the signing of José Offerman. He signed on July 1, 1999. MacDougal made his major league debut as a starting pitcher, but suffered a fractured skull late in the season when he was struck in the head by a bat that had escaped from the hand of Carlos Beltrán. He lost feeling in his right arm and was unable to pitch for three months. In , the Royals turned him into a closer. That season, he was 3–5 with 27 saves and a 4.08 ERA in 68 relief appearances. He also made the American League All-Star team for the only time in his career. MacDougal struggled with flu-like symptoms in spring training in , causing him to lose weight and, as a result, to lose velocity off his fastball, which had been clocked as high as 103 miles per hour. He lost his job as the Royals' closer to Jeremy Affeldt and spent much of the 2004 season in the minor leagues. However, early in , he was reinstalled as the closer after Affeldt himself was injured. MacDougal battled injuries again in , starting the