It is probably safe to say that most Dodgers fans have never heard of Jamie Romak, but there is a pretty good chance that they just might within the next day or so.

Romak is currently assigned to the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes as a utility infielder, spending most of his time at third base. And although he is not currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster, perhaps he should be.

Why?

Because next to Dodgers top outfield prospect Joc Pederson’s 11 home runs with the Isotopes, Romak is second on the team with nine. He is also hitting .271 with a .362 OBP and .588 SLG for a respectable OPS of .921 – numbers which far exceed those of fellow utility infielders Miguel Rojas and Carlos Triunfel – especially the power numbers.

Canadian Jamie Romak has hit nine home runs for Albuquerque this season – second only to Joc Pederson’s 11. (Photo courtesy of canadianbaseballnetwork.com)

So why all of this talk about three minor league utility infielders?

Because one of them will most likely be wearing a Dodger uniform within the next day or two.

By now most Dodger fans are well aware that Dodgers hot-hitting/hot-fielding third baseman Juan Uribe is out with a strained right hamstring – an injury that they are calling mild but serious enough that it has the Dodgers sitting on the bubble as to whether or not they should place Uribe on the 15-day DL (retroactive to May 8) or wait it out and run a man short for the next several days. The latter is a risky proposition when you consider the number of extra-inning games that the Dodgers have been involved in thus far in the young season.

Of Romak, Rojas and Triunfel, only Triunfel is currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster, which suggests that Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti will probably go with him regardless of the fact that Triunfel is hitting only .226 with an OBP of .270 and SLG of .269 for a dismal OPS of .539; he has also yet to hit a home run for the Isotopes this season. And although Rojas is hitting slightly less than Romak at .261, his OBP is only .317 and his SLG only .326 for a lackluster OPS of .643; he too has yet to hit a home run this season. The advantage that Rojas has over Romak and Triunfel is that Colletti is very fond of him – regardless of the numbers.

Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Romak was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 First Year Player Draft out of  A. B. Lucas Secondary School (in London, ON) by the Atlanta Braves. In his 12-year professional career he has made it as high as Triple-A but has yet to make it to The Show. The 29-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Dodgers this past off season as a free agent, having spent time in the Braves, Pirates, Royals and Cardinals organizations. He has appeared in all but three of the Isotopes 37 games this season – primarily as a third baseman, but he has also played first base and in the outfield during his 12 professional seasons.

Should Uribe land on the DL (which we will probably know later today) the likely replacement will be Triunfel – but the logical replacement clearly should be Canadian Jamie Romak – eh?