July 8th, 2016 at 3:14 pm 
by Ron Cervenka The Dodgers have called up minor league outfielder Andrew Toles to help the team with a left-handed bat off the bench.
Toles was initially selected by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2010 First Year Player Draft out of Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. He chose not to sign as a high school player and was picked again in the 2012 June Draft, this time by the Tampa Bay Rays who selected him out of Chipola College in Florida in the third round of the draft.
Andrew Toles
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
At the time he was selected by the Rays, Tampa’s General Manager was Andrew Friedman. Toles was considered a top of the line prospect and by 2013 he was named the Rays Minor League Player of the Year. With the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A Midwest League he had a triple slash of .326 / .359 / .466 along with with 62 steals in 79 attempts and 53 extra-base hits in 121 games. Baseball America named him the No. 19 prospect in a loaded Midwest League.
Toles fell victim to some maturity issues and was released by the Rays in 2015; however Friedman, who had since became the Dodgers president of baseball operations, remembered the 5’10” – 185-pound right-handed throwing / left-handed hitting outfielder from his days in Tampa and signed the now 24-year-old Decatur, Georgia free agent on September 23, 2015. Toles was assigned to the Dodgers advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to begin the 2016 season.
Toles quickly proved himself as both a great player and great teammate posting a triple-slash of .370 / .414 / .500 for an impressive .914 OPS, leading to his promotion to Double-A Tulsa on May 4.
In his very first at-bat with the Drillers, Toles homered. He went on to post a slash-line of .314 / .363 / .514 / .877 in 43 games with the Drillers leading to his promotion to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers on June 30. In eight games at OKC, Toles went 10 for 33 (.303) with three doubles, one home run and six RBI, thus prompting the Dodgers to call him up as a left-handed power bat off the bench.
Although it is unknown if Toles will remain with the big club for more than even one game, he becomes the second player in two weeks to have made it to the show having began the season at Advanced Single-A, joining right-hander Brock Stewart, who was optioned back to OKC after one start.
Toles will make his MLB debut in center field tonight for the Dodgers.
Posted in 
All right. Really pleased for Andrew. Everyone deserves a second chance. It’s what you do with it that counts.
I can just imagine his excitement. In 2015 he was working in a grocery store.
I expect it will be for a game or two, until September, but no matter it is still MLB and a chance to make himself known. Not sure how his year out of baseball works but I think he is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in the fall. (19 or older on the June 5 preceding their signing and this is fourth Rule 5 draft upcoming.}
Man – am I excited! How about you Andrew?
Gotta admit I was buzzing in the clubhouse (I’m sure you could envision this Harold) as we were waiting for Toles to arrive at his locker. I am happy (and proud) to say that I was sort of the expert (not really, of course) on Andrew because I had watched him in detail when he was at Rancho this season.
He was clearly nervous having all of the attention on him and, as expected, several reporters asked about his “issues” while with Tampa Bay, but he stood tall (well, relatively speaking, of course, since he’s quite short) and faced the music.
It was great to see Gabe Kapler walk into the clubhouse and congratulate Andrew and give him a big hug.
I hope I didn’t jinx anything because everyone who asked me about him (I was flattered) I told them that he rakes.
In all honesty, baring the incredible, his stay in the Bigs will probably be short lived, but as you said, “It is still MLB!”
This has the potential to be a feel-good story. I wish Andrew the best in his MLB career.
Go Toles!
Go Dodgers!
Double on the first major league pitch he sees. Not a bad start.
Just one game, but I like what I saw last night. Put bat on ball (no K’s) which is important for a guy with his speed (not always applied by ML players), looked good going to balls in the OF. Arm strength appears better suited for LF than CF.
Congratulation to Toles for getting his first base hit last night. I wish him luck and if not this time, he’ll someday make it with the Dodgers.