I'll just call things how they are, especially with Klay and the dynamic of him and how it's changed our family., Its not that Klay got famous, and everything changed, Trayce tells me. There was a time Thompson thought hed be with the Dodgers for the long haul. Mychal was delighted. As he toiled in the minors, trying to rediscover his game, his older brother Klay Thompson, the All-Star guard for the Golden State Warriors, was tethered to the bench with a string of serious injuries, missing all of the 2019-20 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and all of 2020-21 with a with a ruptured Achilles tendon. He needs to be in the flow of the game for his best performance. Trayce Thompson Is Grateful to Be Back in the Land of Stars A winding career has brought the 31-year-old outfielder back to Los Angeles, where he is playing a key role. But the Dodgers outfielder is finally where he wants to be. Its the club with which, six years ago, he experienced the peak of his career. He also had many self talks, trying to replenish his psyche with confidence and conviction.. Exceeded rookie limits during 2016 season, 2023 Contract Status: And then, of course, theres the Klay of it all. [9] He played in 80 games for the Dodgers, hitting .225 with 13 homers and 32 RBI. Quit being surprised and play him more. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Although the athlete has not opened up much about his relationship, it is known that he has been with Jillian for quite a long now. I learned so much just watching him, Trayce Thompson said. He said the biggest advantage was that hed seen that a professional career was possible, so kind of by osmosis, you just expect things to happen. His brother has become famous for his clutch performances. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. rookie Trayce Thompson hits first career home run against Angels", "White Sox acquire Frazier in 3-team deal", "Dodgers finalize opening day roster: Charlie Culberson, Trayce Thompson, Austin Barnes, Louis Coleman earn spots", "Back soreness sends Dodgers' Trayce Thompson to DL", "Thompson has back fractures, X-ray reveals", "Los Angeles Dodgers Injury Updates: Kazmir Misses Out on Minor League Playoffs", "OKC Dodgers: Outfielder Trayce Thompson works to regain footing in new setting", "Dodgers Designate Trayce Thompson, Claim Cory Mazzoni From Cubs", "Athletics Designate Trayce Thompson for Assignment", "White Sox trade Tyler Saladino to Brewers, pick up Trayce Thompson from Athletics", "White Sox's Trayce Thompson: Designated for assignment", "Diamondbacks Sign Trayce Thompson To Minor-League Deal", "Padres' Trayce Thompson: Joins San Diego", "Padres' Trayce Thompson: Called up from Triple-A", "Detroit Tigers sign Trayce Thompson, brother of Klay Thompson, to minor-league contract", "Los Angeles Dodgers acquire Trayce Thompson from Detroit Tigers", "Los Angeles Dodgers add newly acquired OF Trayce Thompson to active roster", "White Sox prospect Trayce Thompson inspired by brother and NBA star Klay", "Klay Thompson recalls brother Trayce's 'surreal' White Sox debut", "Miller: Dodgers' Trayce Thompson Rockies' Nolan Arenado share brotherly bond that dates to youth baseball", "Trayce Thompson at Dodgers Faith & Family Day", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trayce_Thompson&oldid=1139617109, August 4,2015,for theChicago White Sox, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 01:10. As Bill Plunkett writes in the Orange County Register, the Dodgers expected Thompson to be solid, but no one expected him to be as good as he has been, including manager Dave Roberts. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [10], On January 13, 2023, Thompson agreed to a one-year, $1.45 million contract with the Dodgers, avoiding salary arbitration. And he stows the old bat bag in his familys storage unit, adding to a collection that now feels like a kaleidoscope of discarded baseball relics. We weren't in school yet, so it was hard to make friends, Klay tells me. Like, wow!, Apply Bed Bath and Beyond coupon and save 25% off your entire purchase, Target Circle: up to 50% Off with Target promo code, With Asos Promo Code you take 70% OFF Select styles, Michael Kors promo code: sign up for KORSVIP + Get 10% off on First Order, 2023 Cond Nast. That's real perseverance and will power to just grind every day to fulfill your dreams. He spent the entire season at the alternate site. I didnt want to finish my career thinking that I didnt leave it all out there.. Born: Its not hard to suspect that Trayce has been successful for reasons beyond pure athletic skill. Thompson struck out in 36% of his plate appearances with Los Angeles last year. And then another right before this renaissance in LA? He appreciates the determination Trayce has shown in good times and bad. After last years season-long struggle to find consistency off the bench, its a luxury for the Dodgers to be able to give Mookie a day off once in a while and know they have a player like Thompson ready to take his place. Thompson played in 88 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, hitting .233 with 21 home runs and 63 RBI's. I had two years there, and I dont shy away from this at all I was the worst player in baseball, in my opinion, Thompson said. Trayce Thompson is batting .295 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 29 games during his current stint with the Dodgers. Thompson attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Thompson, 31, the younger brother of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, bouncing around nine organizations - including three stops alone this season - has. Dan joined The Athletic after 5 1/2 years at NBC Sports Chicago and eight years at The North County Times, where he covered the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, four World Series, the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Final, NASCAR, UFC, Little League World Series, PGA and the NFL. Follow Dan on Twitter @DanHayesMLB, Trayce Thompson previously played with the Dodgers for parts of two seasons before he was designated for assignment. Man, he doesnt care, he says. It's an unspoken advantage, Trayce says. In the seventh inning, Trayce was unexpectedly pulled from the game. It was enough to get the 6'3" outfielder taken in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Trayce started for much of July and August, but then trades and lineup shuffles sent him back to the bench. Hes made the most of his opportunity, with the most recent example coming in two consequential moments Friday. Outfielder Trayce Thompson began playing in the Chicago White Sox system in 2009. Have you subscribed to ourYouTube Channelyet? So, it just feels right. This guy battled through a strenuous rehab right when his career was taking off and then had to go back down to the minors and do it all over again. In 146 plate appearances, Thompson is hitting .297/.384/.563 for a .946 OPS that is 58 percent better than league average. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Thompson ended his first major-league season in 2015 posting a 147 OPS+ with the White Sox, meaning his on-base-plus-slugging percentage was 47% higher than that of the average MLB hitter. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. ; High School Santa Margarita Catholic High School; Debut August 4, 2015; Born March 15, 1991 in Los Angeles, CA USA; BR page. Jack Harris covers the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times. [17] The Athletics designated him for assignment on April 17, 2018. Find out more. Its something I never really thought could happen.. After Golden States Game 4 win at TD Garden on June 10, Trayce had a gut feeling he would be celebrating with his family the following Thursday. [3] In 2011, Thompson again played the whole season with Kannapolis hitting .241 in 519 at-bats, and was named to the mid-season SAL All-star team. This season, Thompson, who played six games for the San Diego Padres in April and May, is batting a combined .305/.365/.721 with 17 homers in 170 plate appearances at Triple A. Not necessarily because of injury, but just because of performance and everything thats happened in my career. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Thompson continued to play well for the Dodgers, belting 13 homers and playing good defense for a team with World Series aspirations, until he fractured two vertebrae in his lower back in July 2016 and missed the rest of the season. He noticed that, back then, he set up a little farther away from the plate. 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational Weather Report: Conditions to Affect Play? The #Padres have placed OF Wil Myers on the 10-Day IL (retro: 4/27) with a right thumb contusion and selected the contract of OF Trayce Thompson. Trayce had been fortunate enough to attend Klays return to the NBA on Jan. 9 after 941 days between games, a super emotional night he found fulfilling. I think Trayce is surprised by it, Roberts said of Thompson flipping his career tendencies. But then, he proudly noted, his collection always has featured more Dodger blue than anything else. Trayce Thompson has played for 5 teams; the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. Those were the best memories of my life., Mychel, then 15, was a boy scout according to Trayce, but he and Klay would get in trouble. This is baseball, not basketball, so a half-decade moving up isnt rareGriffey and ARod of the those Thompson childhood Mariners teams being notable exceptions. [26] He had seven hits in 28 at bats over 15 games. A big Dodgers fan, Mychal Thompson said his sons return is a dream come true. He also pointed out it could lead to another family celebration come November. (Mychel, the oldest, loved Griffey, so Trayce, three years younger, did too. I am not waiting., I ask about a quote he gave a reporter in 2015 about the morning ESPN ran with a false report that hed been traded to Oakland. Over 13 years in professional baseball, the journeyman outfielder has been with nine franchises; played for 19 major and minor league teams; been traded, purchased or claimed six times. Oh no, Mychal thought. [3] In 2012, Thompson moved up through the White Sox farm system starting with the Winston-Salem Dash of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, then moved up to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern League and the Charlotte Knights of the Class AAA International League. Arb Eligible: 2024 Its the hottest day of the year at Dodger Stadium and ESPNs in town for Sunday Night Baseball. And I dont like him as a one-off DH. Indeed, the spectrum ranges from Chicago White Sox black to Oakland Athletic green, Arizona Diamondback red to San Diego Padre brown. 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