The Los Angeles Dodgers’ string of surprising call-ups this season grew to include Andrew Toles, who started in center field in what was his Major League debut on the day he was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
He began the season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and hit .370/.414/.500 with eight doubles, two triples and nine RBIs. Then in 43 games with Double-A Tulsa, Toles batted .314/.363/.514. The success continued over an eight-game stretch with Oklahoma City, as the 24-year-old hit .303/.333/.485.
Toles brings a speed dynamic that’s otherwise devoid on the Dodgers’ roster, and he’s earned recent starts in right field with Yasiel Puig nursing a right hamstring issue. Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals was Toles’ best with the Dodgers as he went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one double.
He scored in the third inning on a squeeze play to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Then in the sixth, Toles scored on an error that came after a Joc Pederson RBI single to center field.
Toles, who was on second base, was initially caught in a rundown between third base and home plate but his speed forced the Cardinals to commit an error, via Chad Moriyama of Dodgers Digest:
In 10 games (five starts) with the Dodgers, Toles is 9-for-23 with two doubles, two walks, four strikeouts and one stolen base.
