The Albuquerque Isotopes released their opening-day roster on Monday, featuring four of the Los Angeles Dodgers' top 10 prospects and 13 players who appeared with the team last season.
Shortstop Dee Gordon, ranked No. 1 by Baseball America, leads the list of potential future stars who will suit up for the Isotopes to start the season.
Gordon, who hit .277 with 53 stolen bases at Double-A Chattanooga last year, will be joined on the roster by outfielder-first baseman Jerry Sands (No. 6) and center fielder Trayvon Robinson (No. 10).
Left-hander Scott Elbert (No. 7) returns to Albuquerque as a reliever after going 1-1 with a 4.98 ERA in nine starts for the Isotopes last season.
Sands hit a combined .301 with 35 home runs and 93 RBI between Chattanooga and Single-A Great Lakes (Midland, Mich.), while Robinson batted .300 with 80 runs, nine homers, 57 RBI and 38 steals for the Lookouts.
The four prospects will be joined by a slew of familiar faces, including catcher J.D. Closser, first baseman John Lindsey, middle infielder Justin Sellers, third baseman Russ Mitchell, infielder Juan Castro, outfielders Jamie Hoffmann and Trent Oeltjen, starting pitchers John Ely and Carlos Monasterios, starter-reliever Jon Link and relievers Travis Schlichting and Ramon Troncoso.
Closser will be joined behind the plate by Damaso Espino, who signed as a free agent after batting .250 with 31 RBI with Cleveland's Triple-A and Double-A teams last year.
The infield figures to be aligned with Lindsey at first, Sellers moving from short to second, Gordon at short and Mitchell at third. Castro will be the super sub off the bench.
Sands will open in left field, with Robinson in center and Hoffmann moving from center to right. Oeltjen figures to play frequently at all three outfield spots.
New faces on the pitching staff include veterans Dana Eveland (3-5, 6.79 ERA with the Pirates and Blue Jays), Randy Keisler (3-3, 3.98 with Laguna of the Mexican League), Roman Colon (8-7, 3.91 with the Kia Tigers of South Korea), Jon Huber (3-3, 2.30, 18 saves with Chattanooga), Merkin Valdez (3-5, 7.91 with Triple-A Las Vegas) and Oscar Villarreal (4-3, 4.40, one save with Triple-A Lehigh Valley).
Tim Redding (8-5, 2.89 with Colorado Springs and Scranton) is listed on the roster, but could be called up by the Dodgers on Saturday when they need a fifth starter. Ely is also a candidate to fill that role, as he would not have to be added to the 40-man roster like Redding.
The Isotopes will hold their media day Tuesday morning, which should shed some further light on what the roles will be for the pitchers as far as who will start and who will come out of the bullpen.
Albuquerque opens the season at home Thursday at 6:35 p.m. against the Omaha Storm Chasers.
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