Friday, September 29, 2017

Welcome to the Blue, Tim Locastro!


This figures to be the very last call-up of the 2017 regular season. The Dodgers have just brought into the fold infielder/outfielder Tim Locastro from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He will wear #70. Per a Dodgers press release:
Locastro, 25, will make his first career appearance on a Major League roster in his fifth professional season after splitting time with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa this season. In 127 combined games with the OKC Dodgers and the Drillers this year, Locastro posted a .308/.383/.454 slashline with 31 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBI and 34 stolen bases. He has split time between the infield and the outfield this season, playing in a combined 47 games in center field, 46 games at second base, 31 games at shortstop, nine games in left field and two games in right field.

The Auburn, New York native spent a majority of the season with Tulsa, hitting .285 with 69 runs scored, 21 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 31 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 96 games. Locastro, who was selected to the Texas League Mid-Season All-Star team, finished the year among the league leaders in stolen bases (5th), triples (T-7th), OPS (.795, 7th), on-base percentage (.366, T-9th), runs scored (8th) and batting average (11th). Over two stints and 31 games with Oklahoma City, the speedy infielder hit .388 with 18 runs, 10 doubles, two homers, nine RBI and 12 stolen bases along with a .987 OPS.

Locastro was acquired by Los Angeles on July 2, 2015 from the Toronto Blue Jays and over five minor league seasons with the Blue Jays (2013-15) and the Dodgers (2015-17) organizations, he has slashed .293/.372/.402 with 91 doubles, 16 triples, 24 home runs, 171 RBI and 143 stolen bases in 479 career games. Locastro was originally selected by the Blue Jays in the 13th round of the 2013 First-Year Player draft out of Ithaca College.

Locastro fits right into the mold the Dodgers like to see. He is a versatile player who can play the entire infield and outfield, and he has good enough speed to be dangerous at the top of the order. In fact, per Bill Plunkett on twitter, the Dodgers plan to use his speed. Heck, he's a dark horse candidate to make the playoff roster:
How crazy would it be for the kid to make the playoff roster after not having a single at-bat?

Unusually, Locastro has not been in a game for quite some time because the OKC Dodgers season ended in early September. Per Jeremy Houghtaling at auburnpub.com:
"It was unconventional to call me back out when I was home for three weeks," Locastro said. "But it's happening and that' all that matters."
He is no doubt excited.
"A complete whirlwind," Locastro said during a phone interview on the way to Coors Field, where the Dodgers begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies Friday. "I probably still won't believe it's real until I get to the field."
In celebration of his first trip to the "Bigs" I made the above four fantasy Baseball cards of him.

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