Veteran outfielder Trayvon Robinson will be returning for his sixth season with the Lancaster Barnstormers, it was announced today by manager Ross Peeples.

The Barnstormers have also brought back catcher-outfielder Chris Proctor from the 2022 squad which captured the franchise’s third Atlantic League crowd.

Robinson, 35, first joined the Barnstormers in a trade with the Somerset Patriots late in the 2016 season. The native of Los Angeles spent the entirety of the 2017 and 2018 winning campaigns in Lancaster before signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates for 2019 and spending that year at Class AAA Indianapolis. The switch hitter came back to Lancaster for the 2021 post-pandemic season then rejoined Lancaster in June of last year after sitting out the season’s first five weeks. The fan favorite has played in 437 regular season games with the Barnstormers, batting a composite .280 with 37 homers and 205 RBI. Robinson ranks fifth in franchise history in career runs scored and triples and tied for fourth in drawing walks. During last year’s playoffs, his second post season with the Barnstormers, Robinson was 4-for16. He carried the offensive load in the pennant clinching game against High Point, doubling home a run in the first inning and slamming a leadoff homer in the sixth. Prior to coming to the Atlantic League, Robinson played in the Dodgers, Mariners, Orioles, Tigers and Diamondbacks organizations. He appeared in 90 big league games with the Mariners between 2011 and 2012. During his Major League stint, he played left field behind Felix Hernandez’s perfect game against Tampa Bay.

“Trayvon is a very important piece of what we do,” said Peeples. “He keeps the clubhouse together. He can play all over the outfield. He brings veteran leadership and know the league. He is just very valuable.”

Proctor, 25, was one of several players acquired by Peeples for the 2022 stretch run, joining the Barnstormers on July 26 following a trade with the High Point Rockers for pitcher Cole Akers. He hit .243 with three homers and 19 RBI in 32 games for Lancaster after hitting .296 for the Rockers. The lefty batter collected six hits and four RBI while appearing in six of the Barnstormers’ eight playoff games. The Duke product was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2018 and played at five different levels of the Detroit system through 2021, including 15 games with Class AAA Toledo.

“Proctor will do some of the catching for us but will also play in the outfield,” said Peeples. “He brings some speed to the team and will be able to take some bases. I loved the way he came in and competed last season.”

The Barnstormers now have seven players under contract for 2023. All are returning from the 2022 campaign. Their defense of the title will begin at Southern Maryland on Friday, April 28.

About the Lancaster Barnstormers The 2023 Lancaster Barnstormers, presented by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, are in their 19th year in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Home games are played at Ballpark Digest’s three-time Best Ballpark in MLB Partner League Baseball - Clipper Magazine Stadium in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Please call 717.509.HITS (4487) or visit www.lancasterbarnstormers.com for more information.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) Celebrating its 25th Anniversary season in 2023, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 1,200 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 45 million fans to its family