Edwin Rios made his MLB debut near the end of June and went into Wednesday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins having appeared in 13 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. There was a clear absence for the power-hitting infielder as he had yet to hit a home run.
Rios not only changed that in the Dodgers’ 9-1 victory over the Marlins, he did so in emphatic fashion. The 25-year-old got on the board with a line-drive home run to center field in the fourth inning.
That excited sent friends and family, and Rios provided them with another reason to cheer when he launched a two-run home run to the second deck in right field in the sixth inning.
On top of producing his first career home runs, Rios reveled in that they came in Miami, according to Christian De Nicola of MLB.com:
“It was awesome, just hearing the fans when I was on deck yelling ‘FIU,'” said Rios, the Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. “It was awesome just being home.”
Rios finished the night 3-for-4 with a walk in what was his fifth start of the season. He became the first Dodgers player to hit his first two career home runs in a single game since Cody Bellinger did so as a rookie in 2017.
Rios starred at Florida International University before being selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft. He didn’t produce gaudy home run numbers during three collegiate years, but has clubbed at least 24 in three of the past four Minor League seasons (including 2019).
Injuries led to Rios being kept in extended Spring Training last year and delayed his joining Triple-A Oklahoma City until late May. The Dodgers added him to their 40-man roster last November to protect against potentially losing Rios in the Rule 5 Draft.
He’s largely been blocked from reaching the Majors because of Bellinger — as well as Max Muncy — being entrenched at first base. That’s led to a more concerted effort by Rios to improve his versatility, which entailed working with Barry Larkin this past offseason.
