LOS ANGELES — The Great Lakes Loons announced their opening day roster on Monday, three days before the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate opens Midwest League play.
The roster features 10 players drafted by the Dodgers in 2016, including pitchers Jordan Sheffield (first round supplemental), Dustin May (fourth), Devin Smeltzer (fifth) and A.J. Alexy (11th) and outfielder Cody Thomas (13th).
Switch-hitting catcher Keibert Ruiz begins the year just at 18 years old, after hitting .354/.393/.503 with 22 extra-base hits in 48 games with rookie-level Ogden in 2016.
Also noticeable, both figuratively and literally, on the Loons roster is 18-year-old third baseman Oneil Cruz, part of the Dodgers’ 2015-2016 international amateur haul.