With the offseason now officially underway, the Los Angeles Dodgers will soon begin constructing their roster for next year. As it currently stands, the club has decisions to make on six free agents that reached the open market on Thursday morning.
That number could potentially increase in the coming days, when the Dodgers determine whether to pick up club options for Andre Ethier and Logan Forsythe.
One player that’s already under team control and figures to factor into the Dodgers’ plans next season is Andrew Toles, who looks to reclaim a role in the outfield rotation after undergoing season-ending surgery in May to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
The 25-year-old, after months of rehab and recovery, has resumed swinging in the batting cages, which he shared on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbDLbB6F0Nd/?taken-by=andrew_toles
Before his unfortunate injury, Toles looked primed to put up big numbers in 2017. In just 102 plate appearances, he batted .271/.314/.458 with three doubles, five home runs and 15 RBI.
In his rookie season with the Dodgers in 2016, Toles hit a robust .314/.365/.505 with nine doubles, one triple and three home runs over 115 plate appearances. He accumulated 1.4 WAR (Baseball-Reference) for his efforts and displayed solid defense in all three outfield positions.
That earned him a start against the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the 2016 National League Division Series, and he went on to start in eight of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason games.
Through parts of two seasons in the Majors, Toles owns a .294/.341/.483 batting line with 21 extra-base hits and 36 runs scored in 217 trips to the plate.
