Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles was arrested for trespassing in Key West, Florida, last month. After recently learning of his arrest, Toles' family said they are just thankful that he was safe. The ex-MLBer has struggled with mental illness and was found sleeping behind a Federal Express building at the airport.
"When the news came out, the response from the public was very different from the response from my family," Toles' sister, Morgan, told USA Today. "When people saw my brother's mugshot, it was like, 'Oh, my god! He's been arrested.' You know what my family felt? Relief. It's really crazy to say, but the mugshot, really, was the best thing ever. We didn't know whether he was dead or alive."
Toles began his professional career with the Tampa Bay Rays and was the club's minor league player of the year in 2013 before being released in 2015 due to disciplinary reasons. At 28, he then rose through the Dodgers minor league system in 2016 after starting in Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Toles was called up in July and ended up hitting .314 with three home runs and 16 RBI in 48 regular-season games.
The Cinderella story didn't stop there as Toles became a postseason starter for the Dodgers. Toles hit .314 and was the team's leadoff hitter and starting left fielder by the conclusion of the 2016 postseason. He was the team's starting left fielder in 2017 before tearing a knee ligament in May, which ended his season. Toles spent the majority of the 2018 season at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In 2019, he never reported to spring training because he was dealing with a personal matter. According to USA Today, Toles' family revealed that he has spent time in at least 20 mental health facilities since 2019. He is currently in a Key West hospital and has a court date on Thursday.
"Honestly, I don't expect him to show up," Morgan Toles told USA Today. "He's probably not even aware. They're holding him in a hospital because he's so incoherent and will give him medication until he gets through it. But after that, and he's able to verbalize he wants out, he can leave when he seems fit."
Former teammate Justin Turner has even offered to pay for Toles' medical bills.
