He was stunned to see his son wasnt in the lineup and texted to find out why only to discover Trayce had been packing his apartment following the trade. As Klay returned to the court last fall, going on to win a fourth NBA title with the Warriors, Trayce eventually got back to the majors for the first time in three years, earning a September call-up from the Chicago Cubs last season after hitting 21 home runs during the triple-A season. It would be different if I was limited or really not the same type of athlete. August 4, 2015 [1] He committed to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play college baseball for the UCLA Bruins. Hes trying to fit him in when he can?!? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Dan joined The Athletic after 5 1/2 years at NBC Sports Chicago and eight years at The North County Times, where he covered the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, four World Series, the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Final, NASCAR, UFC, Little League World Series, PGA and the NFL. But then, in July, he hurt his back and an x-ray revealed hed been playing with two fractured vertebrae for a couple weeks. Klay, of course, was second on Golden State with 230 minutes played in the NBA Finals and averaged 19 points per game in the postseason. Get our Dodgers Dugout newsletter for insights, news and much more. In one regard, the 31-year-old is in the opposite boat as Taylor. As the youngest of three brothers myself, I was always fascinated by Trayce. I was talking with my uncle about it. On a 1-0 pitch, the kid they used to call Bamm-Bamm sends a fastball 424 feet into the left field bleachers giving the Dodgers a 9-4 lead. Its been a long journey in professional baseball for Trayce, with a major back injury derailing his career for a time. Professional baseball player Trayce Thompson is sharing a romantic relationship with his long-term partner Jillian. Those were the best memories of my life., Mychel, then 15, was a boy scout according to Trayce, but he and Klay would get in trouble. His beard is close-trimmed, and his forehead is shaded by a Dodgers hat. Trayce said Klay came to him for advice about how he had dealt with the disappointment of his back injury and how he coped with the mental struggles of a long-term rehab. We will play without you. Trayce is stoic in the way baseball players tend to be, but eventually, after some hedging, he tells me: It would mean everything. It's an unspoken advantage, Trayce says. Come on, Dave. But Im glad it happened because I needed to figure out who I was going to be. From there, it was Rookie Ball, and then stints in Kannapolis, then Winston-Salem, and finally Charlotte, North Carolina. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. After stops in L.A., Oakland, Chicago, San Diego, and a half dozen minor league teams, Trayce is back with the Dodgers, where he has found an MLB home. Last year, the right-handed-hitting Thompson had unusually stark reverse splits, doing significantly better against right-handed pitching (.308 batting average, 1.010 OPS) than left-handers (.174 average, .621 OPS). BET $5 ON ANY PREGAME MONEYLINE AND GET $200 IF YOU WIN! Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. At 6'3", he's plenty tall for a baseball player, but is still the shortest of the Thompson menhis father Mychal, onetime first overall NBA draft pick, is 610; his brothers are Mychel, 66, and, of course, Klay, the Golden State Warriors 66 shooting guard-slash-philosopher. Jack Harris covers the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times. (March 2), Best NASCAR Truck Series Bets for the 2023 Victorias Voice Foundation 200, Best Hurricanes-Knights Bet: Its Teuvo Teravainen Time, Michigan vs Illinois Prediction, Trends and Betting Odds Thursday, March 2, 2023, Middle Tennessee vs North Texas Prediction, Trends and Betting Odds Thursday, March 2, 2023, Wright State vs Milwaukee Prediction, Trends and Betting Odds Thursday, March 2, 2023, FIU vs Louisiana Tech Prediction, Trends and Betting Odds Thursday, March 2, 2023, Memphis vs SMU Prediction, Trends and Betting Odds Thursday, March 2, 2023. Home Fan Central BETA Games Anime Movies TV Video . Trayces road was different, and for good reason: making it in Major League Baseball comes down to luck, skill, stubbornness, and, most of all, timing. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Mychal was delighted. Or write about sports? Thompson cleared waivers and elected free agency Saturday. While all of those issues might lead the uninitiated observer to conclude the Dodgers were in trouble heading into the final two months of the season, the clubs win-loss record would suggest otherwise -- Fridays victory pushed Los Angeles to an MLB-best 67-32. Klays younger brother had a child this past Summer. Over 13 years in professional baseball, the journeyman outfielder has been with nine franchises; played for 19 major and minor league teams; been traded, purchased or claimed six times. Trayce, meanwhile, has helped answer some of the Dodgers midseason problems. Hes smart enough to know that, one piece of value that he can add for our club, is to be more productive versus left-handed pitching.. Further, Trayce was added to the active roster. A week later, Trayce homered in Toledos quick 10-4 win at Worcester. Last year, I feel like I got tied up inside a lot, he said, comparing his new approach with his old one. Dodgers Trayce Thompson gestures toward the stands after hitting a three-run home run against the Colorado Rockies on July 4 at Dodger Stadium. Free Agent: 2026, More Trayce Thompson Pages at Baseball Reference, 2022 Dodgers It was all in slow motion for him, though. Trayce Thompson is happy to be back with the Dodgers even if his trip back to Los Angeles has been a long trek. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Now, at age 31, hes found a Major League runway with the Dodgers despite having been designated for assignment earlier this year by the Padres and playing at Triple-A Toledo for the Tigers. It was really frustrating, especially in the middle of the season to not know what was going on and being thrown out in the fire of the major leagues. With star outfielder Mookie Betts sidelined for several weeks with an injury, Thompson could platoon in right field along with Eddy Alvarez. Though we have to kind of watch it with Klay now., The brothers love to competeTrayce tells me hes seen Klay break golf clubs and countless video game controllers. It's nothing new. It might seem like a surprisingly harsh self-evaluation from a player who not only batted .268 with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs and a sterling .901 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 74 games with the Dodgers but did so after languishing in the minor leagues for most of the previous half-decade. Trayce Thompson was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft from Santa Margarita Catholic HS (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA). Kay played college basketball at Washington State from 2008 to Read more Looking for something? To Thompson, its another reminder of how much his career has changed over the last year and why hes wary of not squandering his second lease on life in the big leagues. Trayce Nikolas Thompson (born March 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Its the hottest day of the year at Dodger Stadium and ESPNs in town for Sunday Night Baseball. ), Your email address will not be published. Trayce Thompson was born on March 15, 1991. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. But then, he proudly noted, his collection always has featured more Dodger blue than anything else. After stops in L.A., Oakland, Chicago, San Diego, and a half dozen minor league teams, Trayce is back with the Dodgers, where he has found an MLB home. I dont know if it was just because it was at the end of the game or whatever, but I didnt feel fast running for it, said Thompson. It's not because of who he is in the world now. Nobody knew what to expect when he returned. The minor-league baseball schedule offered Trayce Thompson a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate his . [3] In 2012, Thompson moved up through the White Sox farm system starting with the Winston-Salem Dash of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, then moved up to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern League and the Charlotte Knights of the Class AAA International League. (111-51, 1st place in NL West). All rights reserved. [15], On April 3, 2018, Thompson was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees[16] and then two days later was claimed again, this time by the Oakland Athletics. Trayce Thompson had 56 hits last season and 173 hits over his career. After two outfielders suffered injuries, Thompson was promoted in September. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. And its why he didnt sound fully satisfied Thursday, even in light of last years breakout campaign. Its something I never really thought could happen.. Roberts hinted at such hesitancy when asked at the start of spring about Thompsons participation, saying: Im never going to discourage guys from playing for their countries. Several valleys later, Thompson is back in L.A. and making the most of his return to the majors. Dan Hayes is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Twins. When the Dodgers re-acquired Trayce, the thought was that he would mostly play against left-handed pitchers, but he has actually excelled much more against righties so far. Trayce is currently in the Chicago Cubs organization. Indeed, the spectrum ranges from Chicago White Sox black to Oakland Athletic green, Arizona Diamondback red to San Diego Padre brown. Tonight, in a sweaty September matchup with the San Diego Padres, Trayce gets the call in the bottom of the seventh to pinch hit with runners at second and third. [3] In 2011, Thompson again played the whole season with Kannapolis hitting .241 in 519 at-bats, and was named to the mid-season SAL All-star team. The Dodgers liked Thompson, who grew up in Orange County, enough to ask for his inclusion in a three-team trade that offseason that brought Todd Frazier to the White Sox from the Cincinnati Reds. I thought about Trayce every day, to be honest, Klay says. "It sounds . Every hair on my body stood up, the former Lakers center recalled recently. When you play for a team like the Dodgers, its time to produce, Thompson said. The #Padres have placed OF Wil Myers on the 10-Day IL (retro: 4/27) with a right thumb contusion and selected the contract of OF Trayce Thompson. Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more! Klay is 13 months older and they were always close. I just lived out of one big suitcase, he said with a self-deprecating laugh. Before that, he covered the Angels, the Kings and almost everything else the L.A. sports scene had to offer. Seeing him go after it day by day I was so proud and happy for him.. Mychal and Klaywith their combined 6 championship rings and respective eccentric social media presencescast a long shadow. I've been trying to manifest it. 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Tennis DFS Projections and Ownership for DraftKings and FanDuel, PGA DFS Optimizer Picks Arnold Palmer Invitational: Jordan Spieth at a Ball Striking Venue is a Lock. Quit being surprised and play him more. But once he arrived, Thompson thrived. Shortly after, however, Mychals phone rang. Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, one of his closest friends, ran over to Thompson last Tuesday when they clinched the NL West title, gave him a long, emotional embrace and said:How cool is this? At the plate in the second, he launched the first pitch he saw from Rockies starter Chad Kuhl 430 feet to center. And as closer Craig Kimbrel labored to lock down the save in the ninth, it was Thompson's tremendous running catch in foul territory that sealed the victory. He signed with San Diego after the lockout ended and immediately produced at Triple-A El Paso, which earned him a promotion in late April when Wil Myers was injured. He wears Dodger blue leggings under shorts and a matching long-sleeve top. But to do it here, with a lot of guys I know, a lot of people Ive spent a lot of time with, I think the common theme is just special, he continued. If only hed known what it would lead to. When he received the itinerary for the upcoming road trip on June 9, Thompson noticed Toledo played its next series at Triple-A Worcester, just up the road from Boston. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. I knew they were going to win Game 6, Trayce Thompson said. I feel like in the moment, you dont really hear the noise or anything like that. [36], Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 01:10, "Thompson brothers from family with talent to burn", "Trayce Thompson minor league statistics", "White Sox add Sanchez and Thompson, claim Elmore", "White Sox call up OF Trayce Thompson, brother of NBA star Klay Thompson", "VIDEO: O.C. A staff writer for the Athletic covering the Minnesota Twins on July 4 Dodger. 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