Isotopes Announce Preliminary 2019 Opening Day Roster

The Albuquerque Isotopes have announced their preliminary Opening Day roster, a team that features a mix of returning players and new faces.  

The roster boasts a collection of veteran leadership and up-and-coming talent, with nine players having Major League experience on a club where the average age is 26-years-old.  Eleven members of the Rockies 40-man roster will start the season with the Isotopes.
Fifth-year Isotopes manager Glenallen Hill will welcome back 12 players from last season. The rest of the field staff from 2018 will also rejoin Albuquerque including hitting coach Tim Doherty, pitching coach Brandon Emanuel, athletic trainer Heath Townsend, physical performance coach Marcus Lefton and buallpen catcher Chris Glynn.
Catcher Drew Butera is the club's elder statesman at 35-years-old.  Butera has appeared in 497 Major League games between five organizations and also played 16 for the Isotopes in 2013.
The youngest player to make the Isotopes squad is 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Peter Lambert , who will be in his second season in Albuquerque.
Of the players on the Isotopes preliminary roster, infielder Brendan Rodgers was selected highest overall in the draft (3^rd overall pick in 2015).  Rodgers is the one of three first round draft pick on the Isotopes roster along with Jeff Hoffman (9^th overall in 2014) and Chi Chi González (23^rd overall in 2013).
Six different countries and territories are represented on the team including Jairo Díaz and Yonathan Daza from Venezuela, Carlos Estévez from the Dominican Republic, Evan Grills from Canada, Justin Lawrence from Panama, Roberto Ramos from Mexico and Noel Cuevas from Puerto Rico.
Opening Night at Isotopes Park is this Thursday, April 4 at 6:35 p.m. against the Salt Lake Bees. Tickets can be purchased online at abqistopes.com or at the Isotopes Park Box Office.
Pitchers:
Yency Almonte, Ryan Castellani, Jairo Díaz, Carlos Estévez, Chi Chi González, Evan Grills, Jeff Hoffman, Mitch Horacek, Sam Howard, Peter Lambert, Justin Lawrence, Matt Pierpont, Jesus Tinoco