Los Angeles Promotes Five OKC Players For September Call-Ups
OKC outfielders Alex Verdugo and Andrew Toles, and utility men Tim Locastro and Kyle Farmer and catcher Rocky Gale called up by Los Angeles
Since early in the 20th century, once Sept. 1 rolls around and the minor league season comes to a close, MLB rosters are allowed to be expanded from 25 active spots to up to 40 active spots.
The additions allow each team to add depth for the home stretch and reward good seasons for minor league players.
This year, five Oklahoma City Dodgers players — outfielders Alex Verdugo, Andrew Toles and Tim Locastro, utility man Kyle Farmer and catcher Rocky Gale — were all added to the Los Angeles Dodgers roster in early September.
Rated as the Dodgers’ №2 prospect, according to Baseball America, Verdugo, 22, highlights the crop of call-ups to help Los Angeles in the playoff hunt.
Verdugo — a Mid-Season and Postseason All-Star in 2018 — finished the year in OKC with a .329/.391/.472 slash line while hitting 19 doubles and 10 home runs. His .329 average was good enough for fourth in the PCL. In addition, he led OKC with 113 hits and 34 walks.
He also appeared in 14 games with Los Angeles earlier this season, batting .274 (14x51) with five doubles and one home run.
This is the second straight year Verdugo got promoted on Sept. 1, and his fourth promotion of his career.
Locastro, 26 — who was hit by pitch 18 times in the month of August — played in 83 games for OKC and had a .279 average with 18 stolen bases and 61 runs scored. He led OKC in both runs scored and stolen bases and played four different positions, first and second base, left field and center field.
This is Locastro’s second stint with the Dodgers this year and third of his career.
The third outfielder of the bunch is Toles. After missing almost two months of action from mid-April to early-June due to injury, Toles, 26, solidified himself as a top hitter for OKC in 2018. In 71 games played, Toles slashed .306/.345/.461 and notched 17 doubles, seven homers and 39 RBI.
Since suffering a torn ACL in May of the 2017 season, he has been recalled twice by Los Angeles.
Utility man Farmer, 28, returns to Los Angeles after starting the year there mainly filling in for an injured Justin Turner at third base.
Over 79 games played with OKC, he slugged .451 while belting 24 doubles, seven home runs and 36 RBI. Farmer also saw action at all four infield positions plus catcher.
The call-up is Farmer’s third stint with the Dodgers this year.
Gale — a 2018 Mid-Season All-Star — was a force behind the plate, leading all catchers in the PCL in games played (84), runners caught stealing (25) and assists (55). He was also third in the PCL by throwing out 43 percent of baserunners.
At the plate, Gale, 30, batted .281 with 14 doubles and 34 RBI. In addition, Gale collected a 13-game hitting streak April 23-May 13, batting .420 (21x50) with six extra-base hits, eight multi-hit games and nine RBI.
It will be Gale’s first stint with the Dodgers and third in the Major Leagues.
These five OKC stalwarts now look to help Los Angeles clinch its sixth straight National League West crown.
