One of the biggest surprises of Los Angeles Dodgers Summer Camp so far has been the production from Edwin Rios, who went through a stretch of hitting three home runs in just a handful of at-bats this week.
Rios made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 2019 and showed he had potential of sticking as he hit .277/.393/.617 with four home runs in 28 games. He is currently competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster and while he is close to being a consistent MLB player, Rios knows he will need to play well to make that dream a reality.
“It’s kind of that step away or whatever you want to call it. At the end of the day I’m going to have to perform if I want to be up here,” Rios acknowledged. “I’ve got to show my coaching staff and teammates day in and day out that I’m ready to stay up here.”
The time off due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may have actually done wonders for Rios as he was back at his home in Florida, where he continued swinging away. “In a sense I feel a little more locked in,” he said.
“With all the craziness, I went back home and put in work. I’ve been busting my butt and just trying to be ready for when this time came. I tried to do BP and it didn’t really work out with facilities being closed. It was a lot of me and my father in our backyard with a net and hitting tee every day.
“It was kind of nice to have bonding and just kind of listening to him give me advice. Then the last two weeks, I was able to get some live ABs against certain pitchers in Florida. I know sometimes people are against the tee, but that’s what I had at the time and I made it work.”
If the 2020 season were to be played under normal circumstances, the odds of Rios making the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster wouldn’t appear high. Some of that is attributed to Matt Beaty likely earning a spot.
However, Rios is not preoccupied with what could be. “Just like I’ve always said, I can only control what I can,” he said. “Just trying to go out there, give it all I got and leave in the coaches’ hands, the GM and all that kind of stuff. If they give me the opportunity I’m going to be ready.
“It’s not up to me. I’m going to do what I’ve always done: give it my all, work my butt off and if it’s enough, then I’m going to take advantage of it. If it’s not, then I’m just going to have to keep working.”
Roberts expecting Rios to make impact in 2020
Rios’ production during Summer Camp has impressed everyone in the organization, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who expects him to be a big factor in 2020 if he continues to swing the bat at that level.
“No. 1, it’s his performance. He’s made a lot of strides for me in the last year and a half; physically, mechanically, both offensively and defensively,” Roberts said.
“Even as we were going to break, he was a real big part of the conversation. That’s a credit to Edwin. Now you’re talking about an expanded roster, he’s continued to get better. I’m really proud of Edwin and I expect him to make an impact with us.”
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