Rodriguez makes grand entrance for Double-A Akron
Indians No. 23 prospect hits a slam in his first at-bat for RubberDucks, No. 1 prospect homers
The Indians promoted Nellie Rodriguez -- the current Carolina League home run leader with 17 -- to Double-A Akron on Tuesday and the RubberDucks immediately reaped the reward of having his powerful bat in the lineup.
Cleveland's No. 23 prospect ripped a grand slam in his first at-bat for the RubberDucks, spotting them a 4-0 lead in the opening frame that helped them secure a 10-3 victory over New Hampshire. The blast was Rodriguez' second in three games, and pushed him to 88 RBIs on the year, good for third in the Minors. He finished 1-for-5 on Tuesday.
No. 1 prospect (No. 31 overall) Bradley Zimmer contributed to the win, too, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the fifth inning. He spent three months with Rodriguez at Class A Advanced Lynchburg before joining the RubberDucks on July 16.
Since then, the No. 21 overall pick in 2014 has hit .253 with four homers and 17 RBIs.