Bradley Clarke Zimmer (born November 27, 1992) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
center fielder in the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
organization. He attended the
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
, and played
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the
San Francisco Dons baseball team. He was drafted by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
in the first round of the
2014 MLB draft
The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...
and made his
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) debut with them in 2017. He has also played for the
Philadelphia Phillies and
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
.
Amateur career
Zimmer attended
La Jolla High School
La Jolla High School (LJHS) is a comprehensive high school for grades 9–12 located in the La Jolla community of San Diego, California. Opened in 1922, La Jolla High School (LJHS) is the second-oldest campus in the San Diego Unified School Distric ...
in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
, where he played for the school's baseball team.
[ The Chicago Cubs selected Zimmer in the 23rd round, with the 699th overall selection, of the 2011 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, but Zimmer did not sign with the Cubs.
]
Zimmer enrolled at the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California. The university's main campus is located on a setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed "The Hil ...
(USF) to play college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
for the San Francisco Dons baseball team. In 2013, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers
The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, Massachusetts, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the lea ...
of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he was named playoff MVP of Cotuit's league championship club. In 2014, his junior year, he was named a preseason All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n and to the Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States. The award, created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association, was first presented in 1978. It is given to ...
's midseason watch list. He was considered to be among the best available prospects in the 2014 MLB draft
The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...
.[ He finished his junior year at USF with a .368 ]batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, seven home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, 31 runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
(RBIs), and 21 stolen bases.[
]
Professional career
Cleveland Indians (2014–2021)
The Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
selected Zimmer in the first round, 21st overall, of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft
The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...
. He signed for a $1.9 million bonus on June 17, 2014. He then joined the Mahoning Valley Scrappers
The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Niles, Ohio, a city in the valley of the Mahoning River, and play their home games at Eastwood Field. From 1999 to 2020, they were ...
of the Class A-Short Season
Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...
New York–Penn League
The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...
. He finished the season with the Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following ...
of the Class A Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. In 2015, the Indians assigned Zimmer to the Lynchburg Hillcats
The Lynchburg Hillcats are a Minor League Baseball team in Lynchburg, Virginia that plays in the Carolina League and is the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves from 2011 to 2014, the Cincinna ...
of the Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...
, where he batted .305 with ten home runs and 32 stolen bases in 37 attempts in 77 games.[ Zimmer was selected to represent the Indians at the 2015 All-Star Futures Game. Following the Futures Game, the Indians promoted Zimmer to the ]Akron RubberDucks
The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Eastern League. Zimmer batted .219 with Akron.[ The Indians assigned Zimmer to the ]Scottsdale Scorpions
The Scottsdale Scorpions are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Scottsdale Stadium, which is also the spring training facility of the San Francisco Gia ...
of the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
(AFL), but he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right foot and considered unlikely to play in the AFL.
Zimmer began the 2016 season with Akron, and was promoted to the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
International League on July 25. Zimmer ended 2016 with a .250 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, 15 home runs and 62 RBIs, along with 38 stolen bases. After the season, the Indians assigned Zimmer to the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fille ...
. He returned to Columbus to start the 2017 season.[
The Indians promoted Zimmer to the major leagues on May 16, 2017.] He made his MLB debut that day. In his second MLB game, on May 17, Zimmer recorded his first MLB hit and home run. On July 25, Zimmer hit his first grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
, where the Indians won the game 11–7. Zimmer batted .241 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 299 at bats for Cleveland.
Zimmer began 2018 as Cleveland's starting center fielder. However, after batting .226 with a 42% strikeout rate in early June, he was optioned
In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...
to Triple-A Columbus. After playing in eight games for Columbus, Zimmer injured his right shoulder. He had an anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...
shot and was shut down for four-to-six weeks in late June. On July 21, 2018, Zimmer underwent right shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, and was out for the rest of the year. Recovery time required 8–12 months. In 2019, Zimmer appeared in only 13 at bats.
Overall with the 2020 Cleveland Indians, Zimmer batted .162 with one home run and 3 RBIs in 20 games. He started the 2021 season with Columbus, and was promoted to the major leagues on May 27. In 2021, batted .227 with eight home runs in 299 at bats. On September 27, 2021, Zimmer hit a solo home run off his older brother Kyle Zimmer in an 8-3 win over Kansas City. There have only been three previous occasions in MLB history since 1900 where a brother homered off another brother, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies (2022)
Cleveland traded Zimmer to the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
for Anthony Castro on April 7, 2022. He was activated on April 10. Zimmer batted .105 in 87 plate appearances across 77 games. On August 15, Zimmer was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...
.
On August 18, 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed Zimmer off waivers to fill in for Brandon Marsh, who went on the injured list. He posted a .250 average in nine games before being designated for assignment following Marsh's activation from the injured list on August 27.
On August 29, 2022, the Blue Jays reclaimed Zimmer off waivers. Zimmer ended the season with a .124 average, 13 hits, two home runs and five RBIs. He did not make the Blue Jays postseason roster. On November 15, 2022, Zimmer was designated for assignment. He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 18.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-present)
On December 17, 2022, the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
signed Zimmer to a minor-league contract for the 2023 season. He began the season with the Oklahoma City Dodgers
The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ba ...
.
Personal life
Zimmer's father, Eric, played college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...
at the University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is t ...
. He is an anesthesiologist
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine ...
. His mother, Cathy, ran track at San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
, and works as a counselor at La Jolla High.[ His older brother, Kyle, is also a baseball player.] His wife, Madeline is a physical therapist.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmer, Bradley
1992 births
Living people
People from La Jolla, San Diego
Baseball players from San Diego
Major League Baseball outfielders
Cleveland Indians players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Philadelphia Phillies players
San Francisco Dons baseball players
Mahoning Valley Scrappers players
Lake County Captains players
Lynchburg Hillcats players
Akron RubberDucks players
Columbus Clippers players
Cotuit Kettleers players
Mesa Solar Sox players
Arizona League Indians players
Oklahoma City Dodgers players