Dodgers outfielder James Outman is on another planet right now. The 25-year-old leads all rookies in just about every offensive category and is quickly becoming a fan favorite among Dodger faithful in LA.
Outman has really made a name for himself during this series in Chicago where he found a way to connect himself to another fan favorite in Andrew Toles.
Hat tip to Dodgers Insider on the note that confirmed Outman is the first Dodger rookie to hit a go-ahead grand slam in the 9th inning (or later) of a game since Toles did it in Colorado in 2016.
For Outman, it was the first grand slam of his career and also the first multi home run game of his career.
Adding to the incredibly selective stats and records, Outman's grand slam also connected him to the legendary Hall of Famer Babe Ruth as James did something that hasn't been done since 1919 and only for the second time ever.
After his 4 hit performance on Saturday, he's among the very best in the game, not just qualified rookies.
What Happened to Andrew Toles?
Andrew Toles burst onto the scene in 2016, playing his way onto the Dodgers playoff roster and securing a spot in the outfield for the 2017 season. He ended up tearing his ACL trying to save a Julio Urias no hitter in April and missed most of the next year following surgery.
By 2018, more injury issues kept Tolesy off his game and caused some struggles at the plate. The Dodgers also had a full outfield with the emergence of Cody Bellinger, plus Chris Taylor, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig were still around and Matt Kemp had returned.
That year he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and his rapid fall got worse from there.
In 2019, the Dodgers placed Toles on the restricted list but didn’t offer up very many details on why. Reports of his struggles with anxiety eventually surfaced as he stayed out of organized baseball. Still, the LA front office kept him on the restricted list on the roster and has done so for every year since.
In 2020, Toles was arrested for trespassing at a Miami airport and more details on his tragic struggles with mental illness emerged through his family that was seeking help for the former MLB outfielder.
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