Former St. Cloud Rox Outfielder Makes Major League Debut

Former St. Cloud Rox outfielder T.J. Friedl  made his major league debut Saturday with the Cincinnati Reds.  He came on as a pinch hitter and popped out against Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly.

Friedl got his first major league hit on Sunday.  As a pinch-hitter, Friedl took the first pitch he saw from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin and hit a home run to rightfield. In Friedl's second game as a big leaguer, he was 2-2 with two runs scored.

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Friedl appeared in 16 games for the Rox during the 2016 season.  He hit .373 and drove in 11 runs while scoring 15 runs with 12 stolen bases. The 26-year old had been playing at the AAA level in Louisville prior to his call up.

Friedl became the 4th Rox player to make their major league debut in recent months.  The others are Zach Popp (Marlins), Jay Flaa (Braves) and Lucus Gilbreath (Rockies).