Kyle Lotzkar

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| name = Kyle Lotzkar

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| position = Pitcher

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|10|24}}

| birth_place = Tsawwassen, British Columbia

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| throws = Right

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Kyle S. Lotzkar (born October 24, 1989) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. Lotzkar also competed for the Canadian national baseball team.

Career

=Amateur career=

Lotzkar attended South Delta Secondary School in Delta, British Columbia. He played youth baseball for the Langley Blaze of the British Columbia Premier Baseball League.{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=8536f042-e6ae-4d99-950d-4ef82a388afc |title=B.C.'s best pitching prospects show stuff, then hold breath |publisher=Canada.com |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=September 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203044414/http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=8536f042-e6ae-4d99-950d-4ef82a388afc |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}

=Professional career=

The Cincinnati Reds selected Lotzkar in the supplemental first round, with the 53rd overall selection, of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. The Reds signed Lotzkar to a contract with a $600,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Reds of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and Billings Mustangs of the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2007. In 2008, he pitched for the Dayton Dragons of the Class-A Midwest League in 2008. He fractured his elbow in 2008.{{cite web|last=Rallo |first=Curt |url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-20867302 |title=MWL notes: Lotzkar learns from injury | MiLB.com News |publisher=Minor League Baseball |date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=September 16, 2013}}[http://www.journal-news.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/ud/2008/08/06/ddn080608spdragons.html Journal-News: Dayton, Ohio, news and information]{{dead link|date=September 2013}} As a result, Lotzkar had Tommy John surgery. He missed the 2009 season, and only appeared in twelve games in 2010 for Cincinnati's Rookie-level affiliates. He pitched for Dayton in 2011, rated as the 10th best prospect in the Reds' organization by Baseball America.{{cite web|url=http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/springfield-oh-sports/dayton-dragons/dragons-pitching-coach-pleased-with-lotzkar-1223771.html |title=Dragons pitching coach pleased with Lotzkar |publisher=Springfieldnewssun.com |date=August 5, 2011 |access-date=September 16, 2013}} Lotzkar was added to the Reds' 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Prior to the 2012 season, Baseball America rated Lotzkar the 30th best prospect in the Reds' organization.{{cite web |author=01/27/12 at 1:39pm by John Fay Comments |url=http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2012/01/27/baseball-america-rates-reds-prospects/ |title=Baseball America rates Reds' prospects | Cincinnati Reds |publisher=Cincinnati.com |date=January 27, 2012 |access-date=September 16, 2013 |archive-date=October 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019160714/http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2012/01/27/baseball-america-rates-reds-prospects/ |url-status=dead }} He was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.{{cite web|last=Mayo |first=Jonathan |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120620&content_id=33663130&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |title=Prospects pack rosters for 2012 All-Star Futures Game | MLB.com: News |publisher=Mlb.mlb.com |date=May 24, 2013 |access-date=September 16, 2013}}

Lotzkar was designated for assignment by the Reds on September 16, 2013. He was released on September 24, 2013. In October 23, Lotzkar signed with the Texas Rangers.{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-oct-16-23-2/ |title=Minor League Transactions: Oct. 16-23 |work=Baseball America |first=Matt |last=Eddy |date=October 24, 2013}} The Rangers released him in June 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://www.delta-optimist.com/sports/lotzkar-makes-rare-home-appearance-1.1985595|title=Lotzkar makes rare home appearance|date=July 2015 }}

=International career=

Lotzkar played for the Canadian national baseball team.{{cite web |author=nurun.com |url=https://lfpress.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2011/09/16/18698756.html |title=Molina gives Jays walk-off win | Bob Elliott | Columnists | Sports | London Free Press |publisher=Lfpress.com |access-date=September 16, 2013 |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217151648/http://www.lfpress.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2011/09/16/18698756.html |url-status=dead }} In 2011, he participated in the 2011 Baseball World Cup,{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/10/08/canada_ibaf/|title=Canada advances at IBAF World Cup|publisher=sportsnet.ca|date=October 8, 2011|access-date=March 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115170956/http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/2011/10/08/canada_ibaf/|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=dead}} winning the bronze medal, and the Pan American Games, winning the gold medal.{{cite news|last=Emrich|first=Robert|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-25795034|title=Van Ostrand, Canada take Pan Am gold|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=October 26, 2011|access-date=January 12, 2012|archive-date=October 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030083452/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111025&content_id=25795034&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb|url-status=live}} He also competed for the Canadian Junior National Team in 2007{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/Canada/2007/04/23/4124578.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721123640/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/Canada/2007/04/23/4124578.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |title=CANOE - SLAM! Sports - Baseball - Canada: Astros beat Canucks 11-6 |publisher=Slam.canoe.ca |date=April 23, 2007 |access-date=September 16, 2013}} and was on Canada's provisional roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic,{{cite web |url=http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/sports/Former_Dragons_Headed_to_WBC |title=Former Dragons Headed to WBC |publisher=Wdtn.com |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=September 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209053323/http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/sports/Former_Dragons_Headed_to_WBC |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} but did not make the final roster.{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2009/wbc_notes/wbc_final_rosters_022409.pdf |title=World Baseball Classic final rosters | MLB.com (pdf) |publisher=Mlb.mlb.com |date=May 24, 2013 |access-date=September 16, 2013}}

Pitching style

Lotzkar throws four-seam and two-seam fastballs (92–95 mph), a slider, and a changeup.{{cite web|url=http://brooksbaseball.net/player_cards/player_card.php?player=518952|title=Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Kyle Lotzkar|publisher=Brooks Baseball|access-date=October 1, 2012}} In the minors, he has had high walk (4.2) and strikeout (10.6) rates.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=lotzka001kyl|title=Kyle Lotzkar Minor League Statistics & History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 1, 2012}}