Durham Bulls Announce 2022 Opening Day Roster
April 5, 2022 - International League (IL)
Durham Bulls News Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Durham Bulls in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays have announced their Opening Day roster prior to tonight's road contest versus the Nashville Sounds at First Horizon Park. The Bulls' first home game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park is slated for Tuesday, April 12, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm.
16 members of the 2021 team return to Durham to start the 2022 campaign, including infielder/outfielder Vidal Brujan, who was rated the fourth-best prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays system according to MLB.com, in addition to the 77th-best overall prospect. In 103 games with Durham last year, the switch-hitting speedster hit .262 (102-389) with 77 runs, 31 doubles, one triple, 12 homers and 56 RBI while leading all Triple-A players with 44 steals. Joining him in the infield are fellow returnees Tristan Gray, Jim Haley and Miles Mastrobuoni, with Jonathan Aranda, tabbed the 22nd-best Rays prospect by MLB.com, set to make his Triple-A debut when he first appears in a game for the Bulls. Isaac Paredes, who was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, is expected to begin the year with Durham as well.
Ryan Boldt returns to Durham for his second season, and is set to patrol the outfield along with newcomers Ruben Cardenas and Cal Stevenson, who combined to bash 25 home runs with Double-A Montgomery last year. Also new to Durham are catchers Ford Proctor, rated the 23rd-best Rays prospect prior to this year by MLB.com, along with veterans Joe Hudson and David Rodriguez, while Rene Pinto is back in Durham after clubbing 12 longballs in 52 contests with the Bulls in 2021.
Ten pitchers from the 2021 staff, which finished the season ranked second among all 120 full-season minor league clubs in earned-run average. That list includes Tommy Romero, who combined to allow just one earned run over his final five starts, with Phoenix Sanders, Adrian De Horta, Calvin Faucher, Easton McGee, Dalton Moats, Cristofer Ogando, Joel Peguero, Colin Poche, and Ryan Thompson returning after wearing a Bulls uniform last year. Duke Baseball alum Jack Labosky joins the Bulls pitching staff after spending the entire 2021 campaign with Double-A Montgomery, with Luke Bard, Seth Blair, Robert Dugger, Zack Erwin, Dusten Knight and Chris Muller coming to Durham for the first time in their careers.
Bulls manager Brady Williams is set to serve in his third season as Durham's skipper, joined by pitching coach Brian Reith and hitting coach Will Bradley, both in their first years with the Bulls. Bench Coach Reinaldo Ruiz returns to Durham for his second season to round out the coaching staff.
The Bulls begin their Triple-A National Title defense on the road this evening in Nashville, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm ET. Following that six-game series, the team returns to Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a six-game series versus the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday, April 12. First pitch for Opening Night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on April 12 is scheduled for 6:35pm.
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