After a long offseason, baseball is finally back as Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch for Spring Training on Friday. Joining them are a handful of position players, ahead of their Feb. 24 date to be in camp.
Among them are Kiké Hernandez, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager, Trayce Thompson and Chase Utley. Of the aforementioned group, Thompson is the newcomer to the Dodgers organization.
He is one of three prospects Los Angeles acquired last December from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team that involved the Cincinnati Reds.
Thompson, the son of former Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Mychael Thompson and brother of Golden State Warriors All-Star Klay Thompson, has an outside chance of making the Dodgers’ 25-man roster come Opening Day.
Trayce, a versatile outfielder, got his first experience in the Majors last season, appearing in 44 games with the White Sox and batting .295/.363/.533 with five home runs, three triples, eight doubles and 16 RBIs.
Thompson enters his first big league camp with the Dodgers coming off a hectic travel schedule that began in Toronto, according to ESPN’s Doug Padilla:
It’s been a full week for new Dodgers OF Trayce Thompson, who was in Toronto on Saturday to watch his brother Klay win the 3-point shooting contest. He flew back to California on Sunday, drove to Arizona on Monday and has been working out in the desert since Tuesday as he begins his bid for a roster spot with his new club.
While Thompson can play all three outfield positions, his chances of making the roster are thin given the Dodgers’ abundance of outfielders. Currently blocking Thompson’s rise up the depth chart are Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Alex Guerrero, Kiké Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Scott Van Slyke.
Los Angeles reportedly attempted trading Crawford and Ethier during the offseason, but it was Guerrero who was named the most likely outfielder to be dealt. Presuming Thompson begins the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he figures to join the Dodgers at some point in 2016.
