MADISON – The Rocket City Trash Pandas join the rest of Minor League Baseball in taking a four-day break as their Major League counterparts do the same for the All-Star Game.
The days off will certainly allow for Rocket City outfielder Gustavo Campero to celebrate being named Southern League Player of the Week for July 8-14.
Meanwhile, the Trash Pandas (Double-A, Los Angeles angels) head into the break looking slightly up at the Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs), who lead the Southern League North by one game over Rocket City.
The two teams begin a three-game series Friday in Kodak. The Trash Pandas then return home July 23 against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
First pitch against Tennessee on Friday is set for 6 p.m. Josh Caray will have the call on WZZN 97.7-HD2.
Against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos last week, Campero finished 11-for-25 (.440) with two home runs, three RBI and seven extra-base hits with a 1.437 OPS. The leadoff batter, he recorded an extra-base hit in each of the first four games of the series.
Campero enters the All-Star break on a 12-game hitting streak with at least one hit in each game this month. During July, Campero holds a .477 average with four home runs and 10 RBI in 12 games.
The Southern League Player of the Week award is Campero’s first and his second award as a professional. Last season, he won the Northwest League’s Player of the Month award for July while playing for High-A Tri-City.
Campero is the first Trash Pandas player to win a Southern League weekly award this season. It’s the ninth time by eight players a Rocket City player has won the honor. The last Trash Pandas player to win the award was infielder Jeremiah Jackson on June 25, 2023.
On the season, Campero leads the Trash Pandas in batting average (.313), home runs (13), stolen bases (28) and triples (4).
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