Photo by: Creighton Athletics
Soto's First MLB Appearance Marks Fifth Bluejay to Play in 2020
9/25/2020 5:53:00 PM | Baseball
Omaha, Neb. -- On Tuesday, Sept. 22, former Bluejay Elliot Soto call up to the Los Angeles Angels roster marked the fifth former Bluejay to reach the highest level of professional baseball. After working through the minor league system for 10 seasons (2010-19), Soto made his first MLB appearance on Friday, Sept. 25 against the Los Angeles Dodgers as a pinch-runner in the seventh inning. Soto stayed in the game to play second base, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
Already during the shortened 2020 campaign former Bluejays Anthony Bemboom (Los Angeles Angels), Nicky Lopez (Kansas City Royals), Darin Ruf (San Francisco Giants) and Pat Venditte (Miami Marlins) have appeared in at least one game.
Bemboom has seen action in 20 games, splitting time as a catcher for the Angels and also took to the mound on Aug. 24 against Houston. Lopez has played in 53 of the Royals' 57 games in 2020. Lopez has displayed his versatility, moving around the diamond to log innings at second, shortstop and third base. After spending three seasons in the Korean League (KBO), Ruf returned to the claim a roster spot with the Giants. He has appeared in 37 games across four positions (DH, LF, RF & 1B), posting an impressive .286 average with five home runs and 18 RBI. Venditte was a
mid-season addition by the Marlins, appearing in three games before getting sidelined by an injury. He has a 0.00 ERA over 4.1 innings.
Another former Bluejay, Ty Blach, likely would have reached the majors for the Baltimore Orioles. Unfortunately Blach underwent Tommy John surgery in July.
During the 2019 season the Bluejays also had five reach MLB rosters. The overlapping players were Bemboom, Lopez and Venditte, while Blach and Mike Gerber saw action for the San Francisco Giants. Prior to the 2019 season, the last time five former Creighton players were on MLB rosters during the same season came in 1996 (Kimera Bartee, Alan Benes, Dax Jones, Scott Servais and Scott Stahoviak).
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Already during the shortened 2020 campaign former Bluejays Anthony Bemboom (Los Angeles Angels), Nicky Lopez (Kansas City Royals), Darin Ruf (San Francisco Giants) and Pat Venditte (Miami Marlins) have appeared in at least one game.
Bemboom has seen action in 20 games, splitting time as a catcher for the Angels and also took to the mound on Aug. 24 against Houston. Lopez has played in 53 of the Royals' 57 games in 2020. Lopez has displayed his versatility, moving around the diamond to log innings at second, shortstop and third base. After spending three seasons in the Korean League (KBO), Ruf returned to the claim a roster spot with the Giants. He has appeared in 37 games across four positions (DH, LF, RF & 1B), posting an impressive .286 average with five home runs and 18 RBI. Venditte was a
mid-season addition by the Marlins, appearing in three games before getting sidelined by an injury. He has a 0.00 ERA over 4.1 innings.
Another former Bluejay, Ty Blach, likely would have reached the majors for the Baltimore Orioles. Unfortunately Blach underwent Tommy John surgery in July.
During the 2019 season the Bluejays also had five reach MLB rosters. The overlapping players were Bemboom, Lopez and Venditte, while Blach and Mike Gerber saw action for the San Francisco Giants. Prior to the 2019 season, the last time five former Creighton players were on MLB rosters during the same season came in 1996 (Kimera Bartee, Alan Benes, Dax Jones, Scott Servais and Scott Stahoviak).
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