Andrew Daniel enters his first season with the Grizzlies and his sixth of professional baseball in 2019.

Daniel, 26, appeared in eight games for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (then managed by Grizzlies pitching coach James Frisbie) of the independent Atlantic League in 2018 and hit .304 (7-for-23, HR, 3 2B) with a .936 OPS. Before independent ball, Daniel played for seasons in affiliated leagues and reached Double-A with three different teams and two MLB clubs: the Arkansas Travelers in 2016 and then Mobile (Ala.) BayBears in 2017 — both in the Los Angeles Angels’ system; they changed Double-A teams between seasons — before he was picked up later in the 2017 season by the Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves). In total, he has played for seven affiliated teams in five leagues.

Daniel was chosen by the Angels in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego, where he spent two years playing with former Grizzlies pitcher Max MacNabb. He was a Freshman All-American, Cape Cod League All-Star, and two-time West Coast Conference First Team selection during his three seasons with the Toreros. Daniel hit .369 with a .975 OPS in his final season with USD as a junior.

He also overlapped for two years at USD with Chicago Cubs third baseman and 2016 National League MVP Kris Bryant. In addition to Bryant, Daniel shared First Team All-WCC honors over the years with current Seattle Mariners (and former St. Louis Cardinals) pitcher Marco Gonzales of Gonzaga and Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher of Loyola Marymount.