Jerry Sands’ rise to the big leagues came faster than even he could have imagined.

Even though the first go-round with the Dodgers didn’t turn out quite as planned, the North Carolina native wouldn’t change a thing.

“Obviously you want to get to The Show as quick as you can. To go up there and have that opportunity was good, but obviously I would like the results to be a little bit better,” said Sands, who hit .200 with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 125 at-bats with the Dodgers after being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on April 18.

Now that he’s back with the Isotopes, the 23-year-old power-hitting prospect is looking to correct the holes in his swing so that he can make a quick return to Los Angeles.

“I got up there and lost it a little bit,” he said. “My first funk of the year. They’re good; that’s the big leagues for a reason up there.”

In his second game since returning to Albuquerque, Sands went 2-for-4 with a walk as the Isotopes beat Nashville 5-2 in front of an announced crowd of 8,180 at Isotopes Park on Saturday.

Sands began 2011 by hitting .400 with five homers and 17 RBIs in his first 10 Triple-A games, raising the buzz that began in 2010 – when his 35 home runs ranked third in all of minor league baseball – to a dull roar. Sands seemed like a natural candidate to help L.A. solve its outfield woes.

There were moments: He went 1-for-3 with a double in his debut against Atlanta, 4-for-4 at the White Sox on May 22, and he hit a grand slam at Houston two days later.

A recent 3-for-35 slump clinched Sands’ demotion, however.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told MLB.com that he wants Sands to improve his swing to a point where he is able to consistently hit the few mistakes that a major league pitcher might make. “We talked about it right before I got sent down, and that’s what I felt like (for) a few weeks now,” Sands said.

“It’s just kind of right there – but I’m missing the one or two (pitches) that I need to hit. Just getting to where I don’t miss them is where I need to be.”

Dee Gordon, who was hitting .315 and ranked second in the PCL in stolen bases, was the most recent highly touted prospect to be called up from Albuquerque. Sands didn’t offer his former teammate too much advice.

“Don’t do what I did, pretty much,” Sands said. “With his speed and his abilities, day in and day out he’s going to be successful. I just wished him good luck and told him to keep working because it’s not a picnic up there.”

Maybe not, but the thrill of putting on a big-league uniform provides plenty of incentive to get back.

“Running out that first time was pretty big,” Sands said. “Hopefully I get a chance to go back and redeem myself.”

— This article appeared on page D4 of the Albuquerque Journal