Former Tennessee Vol is tearing up the minor leagues for one of the biggest franchises in baseball

Sometimes someone comes out of nowhere and makes themselves too indispensable to keep from having an opportunity.  That happens in football, basketball, baseball, etc.  You name it.

Former Tennessee Vols infielder Andre Lipcius has been doing that in 2024 in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization.

Lipcius, twin brother of fellow Tennessee baseball standout Luc, played for the Tennessee Vols from 2017-2019, helping the Vols make the postseason for the first time since 2005 in his final season.  Lipcius set career highs that year with home runs (17), RBI (58), and slugging percentage (.586).  He would end up getting drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

After being called up by the Detroit Tigers on September 1, 2023, he ended up getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers back in March for cash considerations.  At the time, his acquisition was effectively a footnote in very small print for the organization, given the Dodgers had signed Shohei Ohtani to a mega-deal in the offseason to headline a star-studded lineup.

However, Lipcius has had a 2024 to remember, one that's earned him rumblings about possibly getting a shot with the big club.  He's launched 19 home runs with a solid .291 average and an OPS close to .900 for Triple A Oklahoma City in the Pacific Coast League.

Opportunity could be there for Lipcius with the Dodgers, who lead the NL West by 7.5 games and hold the second-best record in the National League as of July 7.  The Dodgers surely have plenty of firepower at the top of their lineup with Ohtani, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts.

However, the bottom of the lineup has struggled significantly, particularly infielders Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor.  Hernandez has an alarmingly low .201/.265/.302 line (batting average/on base percentage/slugging) this year, while Taylor's is even worse at .151/.255/.230.  Even speedy 2B Gavin Lux has a .208/.264/.283 mark this year.

As such, if their struggles continue, Lipcius could find himself heading to Chavez Ravine sooner than later to help the Dodgers try to win their first World Series since the 2020 season.

Related: Former Tennessee Vols hurler becomes first MLB starting pitcher in 123 years to reach incredible feat