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When Jordan Parr (pictured) was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in this yearas MLB draft, he was assigned to the Hillsboro Hops, reuniting him with his brother, Josh Parr.

(Brent Wojahn/The Oregonian)

There are 40 rounds in the Major League Baseball draft, and more than 1,200 players are selected.

The likelihood of two brothers being drafted by the same team, two years apart and then receiving the same minor league assignment is incredibly low. So when the Arizona Diamondbacks' Midwest scouting director Steve McAllister pulled aside Josh Parr after a workout at the team's training facility on the final day of this year's draft to inform him that the team had just selected his little brother, his reaction was understandable.

"I was, one, shocked, and two, excited I was going to get to play with him," said Josh Parr, who was drafted in the 12th round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Illinois. "I feel incredibly blessed."

The Diamondbacks selected Jordan Parr, a University of Illinois outfielder, in the 15th round. Josh was drafted a year before Jordan joined Illinois after being picked in the 12th round of the 2011 draft.

Now they're teammates again, as members of the Single-A Hillsboro Hops, for the first time since high school in their hometown of Chillcothe, Ill.

"This is the first time I've had two brothers on the same club," Hops manager Audo Vicente said. "It's nice to see, especially for Josh being an older guy trying to take care of Jordan and explain different things to him."

Jordan Parr

Josh is entering his third year with the Diamondbacks organization and played for the Yakima Bears, now the Hops, last year. He was at the Diamondbacks' spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., while the draft was going on in early June, and was, obviously, following very closely to see where Jordan and his third brother, Justin, Jordan's twin who also played at Illinois, were selected.

"I was on the field working out, and as I was getting ready to go home to check the draft, Steve popped out and said, 'Hey, we just drafted your brother, he's going to be in Arizona tomorrow,'" Josh said. "It's phenomenal."

Justin, the reigning Big 10 player of the year, was selected in the eighth round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sibling support

So far this season, the two brothers have relied on each other for support as they both go through their own challenges -- in addition to the team's struggles as the last-place team in the Northwest League's South Division heading into the season's third week.

Josh Parr

The Diamondbacks organization pulled Jordan in from the outfield and has him playing third base for the Hops. And it has been a struggle. In 13 games, Jordan has a made a league-leading 10 errors.

"It's a whole different ballgame when you're coming from the outfield to the infield where everything is different, your arm angle is different, your footwork is different," Jordan said. "But there are no excuses. I'm coming to the ballpark early and trying to do as much work as I can. I'm trying to get better every single day."

Vicente understands just how tough a move it is coming from the outfield to the infield. A switch from the infield to the outfield can sometimes be easier. But Vicente said in addition the organizational structure Jordan receives from the coaching staff, the help and encouragement he's receiving from his big brother is invaluable.

"It's good to see them support each other and Josh giving Jordan that information of what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong," Vicente said.

Jordan said he's trying to take full advantage of the knowledge his brother has amassed in his two years of professional experience.

"That's something I definitely have to take advantage of, just tapping into that knowledge," Jordan said. "He understands because he's been there, he understands the game more than I do, he understands it's about learning and that it's a process. It's about getting better every day."

Josh said he knows just what his brother his going through in adjusting to professional baseball.

"I've been trying to help him out as much as I can," Josh said. "And Audo is a really knowledgeable infield guy. He helped me out a lot last year in Yakima. So I'm trusting he's going to do the same thing with Jordan."

Overcoming setbacks

And there are signs that Jordan is coming around. He made several nice plays -- and an error -- in Saturday's 7-2 loss to Salem-Keizer and played flawless defense in Sunday's 4-3 loss. Jordan is also one of the Hops' best hitters. He's second on the team with two home runs and has a .292 batting average with 10 RBIs.

"I'm starting to feel better," Jordan said. "My last three games, I've made two errors but every time I get the ball I'm confident in my throws across the infield and I'm confident I'm going to glove it. I'm making more plays."

Meanwhile, Josh hasn't been on the field since the team's home opener June 17 against the Eugene Emeralds. In that game, he pulled a hamstring running the bases and has been rehabbing ever since.

"It's not a lot of fun watching the game because you feel like you're not contributing," Josh said. "But I'm trying to do everything I can, trying to bring some energy and that kind of stuff."

It's not the first time Josh has worked through adversity.

In his first professional season, playing with the Single-A Missoula Osprey in 2011, Josh took a 90 mph fastball to the face, breaking his left cheekbone in four places along with a tooth. He missed most of the rest of that season.

"I'm just trying to do everything I can to get back out on the field," Josh said.

Quality time

He said it's helped having his brother by his side this season. The two live together with the same host family and also are roommates on the road. Josh said they haven't spent a lot of time together since he left for college and then was drafted before Jordan arrived at Illinois.

"It's been awesome," Josh said. "We've had a chance to talk again and hang out."

The Parrs grew up in rural Illinois outside Chillcothe, a town of less than 6,000 people. So the three brothers ended up hanging out together a lot.

"I'm fortunate to have two brothers who are my two best friends," Jordan said. "And I'm not just saying that; they truly are my best friends."

The two brothers, both devout Christians, are also taking advantage of their unity to start a road Bible study as the Northwest League's busy schedule usually prevents players from attending church services. Jordan said it wasn't just a twist of fate that landed him on the same team as his brother.

"I couldn't be more thankful," Jordan said. "And I feel like this is something that God's hand was definitely a part of."

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