Tim Rogers
The dream that every minor league player has is to get called up. Right before the Home Opener, that dream came true for outfielder Luke Raley as he was called up to the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have recalled OF Luke Raley from the alternate site and have placed OF Cody Bellinger on the injured list with a left calf contusion, retroactive to April 6.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 9, 2021
The left-handed-hitting Raley got the news of his callup just right before the ring ceremony. He later got into the game in a double-switch and grounded out in his only at-bat as he played right field.
Background
As you may recall, Raley was traded to the Twins in the middle of the 2018 season in the Brian Dozier trade. Raley was part of the amazing Dodgers’ 2016 draft as he is the 11th player to play in the Major Leagues from that draft.
The scouting report on Raley from Baseball America:
Raley is incredibly strong with bulging biceps and plus-plus raw power. He frequently hit home runs on top of the parking garage beyond right field at Southern California’s Dedeaux Field during the alternate site and showed the ability to hit opposite-field home runs, too. His swing is oriented to his pull-side and he needs to improve his plate discipline, but he’s productive against both righties and lefties and has the bat speed to be an average hitter who taps into his power often enough. Raley is an average runner and plays hard defensively in left field. He’s occasionally too aggressive and collides with other fielders or the wall. He has above-average arm strength despite a funky throwing stroke.
Raley was always ranked in the 20s to 30s in terms of prospect rank whether with the Dodgers or Twins.
Luke Raley said he was devastated when the #Dodgers traded him to the #Twins in 2018. He loved the Dodgers organization so much, he said he’s so excited and grateful to be able to return to the team that drafted him and make his MLB debut.
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 10, 2021
Raley was traded back to the Dodgers, along with Brusdar Graterol in the Kenta Maeda trade. In retrospect, that looks like a great trade for both teams. The role Raley will play will be to mostly hit late in the game. I do hope he gets a start or two within the next week so he gets a decent chance to stick around or make a good impression.
You can follow Luke Raley on Twitter (@lraley20)and Instagram (@lraley20). Congratulations, Luke!
