Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times has a very interesting report on the Dodgers, who have created a “speed camp”, in the words of 2015 38th-round draft pick Edwin Drexler. When he arrived to the club’s training facility in Arizona, Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler and assistant Nick Francona instructed Drexler to put away his bat and glove, as he would be focusing only on running the bases.
The Dodgers may have been influenced by the performance of Terrance Gore for the Royals in the postseason last year. Gore never took an official plate appearance, but pinch-ran six times. He stole three bases and scored two runs, and the Royals won all six games in which he appeared.
It’s possible that, if the Dodgers win the NL West or one of the two Wild Card spots, Drexler could appear in a Gore-like role in the postseason, then report back to rookie ball next year.
