The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING a slow start to the season, Lucius Fox has settled in at the plate for the Bowling Green Hot Rods in the Tampa Bay Rays’ farm system.

Fox had one of his best games of the season Wednesday night in the Hot Rods’ 10-2 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits.

Fox doubled, singled twice and scored three runs on a night where he went 3-5. After an 0-3 start in the first game of the series, he also went 3-5 at the plate in game two.

He hit .237 in the month of April but has increased those numbers and is hitting .344 thus far in May.

Through 26 games, Fox is hitting .275 with eight RBI, 12 runs scored, eight stolen bases and an OPS of .668.

Defensively he has posted a fielding percentage of 97 per cent.

Fox began the season 1-14 at the plate with nine strikeouts through four games. He responded by recording hits in five of the next six games. He also recorded three multiple hit games during a six-game hitting streak in late April and this month, has posted “three-hit” games in three of his last four outings.

Fox is competing in Single A ball for the second consecutive season in the Midwest League’s Eastern Division.

The 19-year-old shortstop made his much-anticipated pro debut last season for the Giants with the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic Class A League.

In 75 games, Fox hit .207 with 46 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, slugging .277, an on-base percentage of .305, an OPS of .582, two home runs, four triples and six doubles.

Fox was traded to the Rays along with Matt Duffy and Michael Santos in the deal which sent left-handed pitcher Matt Moore to the San Francisco Giants. He was limited to just a single game in the Instructional League with the Rays before he was sidelined with a foot injury.

The Class-A leagues, the South Atlantic and Midwest, feature a cross section of players moving up from the Short Season and Rookie leagues, as well as the occasional experienced first-year player.