I’m a bit confused. Now admittedly, as I get a bit older it takes less and less to confuse me. I’m a bit confused about how the Dodgers move their players around in the early stages of the season. A given player begins the season with one of the Dodgers affiliate teams and then is back at extended spring training for a period of time. For instance, Fontana, California native Chris Mathewson has twice been returned to extended spring training from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and now has been assigned to the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League.

I expect there may be a number of reasons why players return to extended spring training, such as lack of success at a given level, to work on a particular aspect of the game, to nurse a minor injury or simply as a roster move to get the regular season started for another player in the farm system.

I get all of that, but the Adam Bray situation still confuses me. It may confuse him as well, but with firsthand knowledge of what is going on, he most likely has a relatively clear understanding of his situation.

Bray was selected by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. That means that 1001 players were selected by the 30 MLB teams before his name was called, and his proud parents, Dan and Mari, couldn’t have been happier for their son’s success.

“Adam’s been lucky to have spent the past four years at an exceptional institution, with exceptional players, coaches, faculty members and administrators,” said Mari Bray. “They allowed him to reach new heights. He’s done his job on the mound, been a captain and leader, and is a good student.”

Adam Bray with two biggest fans – his dad Dan and his mom Mari.
(Photo courtesy of @AdamsonbrayBray)

The younger Bray, in return, appreciates the support of his parents.

“My mom and dad saw a lot of my college games,” said Adam. “They didn’t miss many games and were among the great fans that supported our team so well.”

Bray, now 24, had graduated from Eden Prairie High School in his home town of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Following his graduation from high school he went on to play four years with the South Dakota University Jackrabbits of the NCAA, Division I Summit League. The Summit League is an intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States from Indiana and Illinois on the East of the Mississippi River to the Dakotas and Nebraska on the West.

The 6’3”/210-pound right-hander was a mainstay in the starting rotation throughout his South Dakota career. Along the way, he set Jackrabbit career records with 264 strikeouts, 326.2 innings pitched along with 51 games started. To round out his Jackrabbit resume, he ranked second in victories, compiling a 23-16 career record. In his senior year, he posted an 8-4 record during the 2015 season with a 2.96 earned run average in 14 starts, striking out 80 and walking 25 in 91.1 innings.

Bray also played with the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League in 2013 and the Northwoods League in 2014. Both are collegiate summer leagues. During his two summers of collegiate play he went 9-2 with a combined ERA of 2.05 along with 83 strikeouts and 21 walks in 83.1 innings.

He began his professional career on July 16, 2015 with the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League pitching a scoreless inning against the Great Falls Voyageurs. On the season with the Raptors, he posted a 3.86 ERA over eight starts with 33 strikeouts and four walks.

During the 2016 season he appeared in a total of 34 games split between the Great Lakes Loons and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, starting in only four of them. In a combined 74 innings pitched he had an ERA of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.11. His very respectable WHIP was in large part due to his 80 strikeouts and only 11 walks issued.

Bray began the 2017 season back with the Quakes in the hitter friendly California League and it was quite a beginning. He appeared in four games with the Quakes – only one as the actual starter – but pitched four innings in each appearance. He gave up seven hits in his 16 innings pitched and posted a twin ERA and WHIP of 0.56 each. He struck out 18 and walked but two.

Since being selected by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of South Dakota State University, Adam Bray has played at every level in the Dodgers farm system except Double-A Tulsa, where he may soon be headed. (Photo credit – Dave Eggen)

There was no surprise when he was promoted to a higher level within the Dodger organization on April 28. The surprise was that the assignment was to the Oklahoma City Dodgers of the AAA Pacific Coast League. He made one 3.1 inning appearance with the OKC Dodgers allowing no runs, one hit, no walks while striking out two.

I kept waiting for him to make his next appearance with the AAA squad but it didn’t happen. Perhaps there was an injury of which we were not aware. In any event, it was announced on May 5 that he had been reassigned to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

One can only wonder about the thinking that returned Adam Bray to the California League while there seems to have been other options with the Tulsa Drillers and Oklahoma City Dodgers. That is, the 7-day DL, extended spring training or demoting struggling players.

A real promotion may not be too far off … and on Tulsa time.