By Scott Barancik, Editor
Ryan Lavarnway, a 29-year-old catcher who last played Major League ball in 2015, was called-up by the Oakland Athletics today.
Lavarnway was hitting .274 with 4 HRs, 20 RBIs and a .362 on-base percentage at Triple-A when he got the news. He is replacing C Josh Phegley, who took a three-day paternity leave, so it’s quite possible his stay will be brief. Lavarnway is the 11th Jewish athlete to appear on an MLB roster in 2017.
A graduate of Yale University, he was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the 2008 draft, made his Major League debut with the Red Sox in a swift three years, and also had stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Atlanta Braves.
Lavarnway starred for Team Israel during the 2017 World Baseball Classic, hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a home run, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs and a .565 on-base percentage. He was the MVP of Pool A.
Lavarnway did not play in Oakland’s 7-4 win over the White Sox today.
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