With injuries suddenly mounting with their big-league lineup, the Dodgers are turning to one of the best prospects in the sport to help bolster their offense.
Outfield slugger Josue De Paula is being called up directly from double-A, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The California Post on Wednesday, and will be officially activated on Friday when the Dodgers open a road trip in Miami.
The move, which was first reported by ESPN, comes as the Dodgers monitor injuries to two star left-handed hitters, with Shohei Ohtani battling left knee and right arm issues and Freddie Freeman dealing with a recent right knee problem.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier Wednesday that an injured list stint was being considered for Ohtani, but was “absolutely not” on the table for Freeman.
Neither player was in the team’s lineup Wednesday night.
The promotion also represents an aggressive move from the Dodgers’ front office, turning to a 21-year-old slugger who is ranked as the sixth-best prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
With the organization’s double-A affiliate in Tulsa this year, De Paula has had the best campaign of his minor-league career, batting .303 with 27 home runs, 101 RBIs, almost as many walks (87) as strikeouts (81) and 31 stolen bases for good measure.
He is also a two-time participant in the MLB Futures Game, and won MVP honors last season after hitting a home run in the All-Star week event.
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As a corner outfielder, his defense remains a long-term question mark — though, many in the organization have lauded the improvements he has made this year.
For the Dodgers right now, however, his value will be as another left-handed hitting option, an area of renewed need for the team after Ohtani missed six of the last seven games managing his ongoing injuries and Freeman was absent from the lineup on Wednesday for the second time this homestand with a knee problem that has led to a 1-for-18 slump.
The Dodgers did have left-handed alternatives in triple-A to consider, from current 40-man rostered players like Ryan Ward and Hyeseong Kim, to another highly-touted corner outfield prospect in James Tibbs III.
But unlike Tibbs, De Paula was already going to have to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason in order to be protected from the Rule 5 draft.
And unlike anyone else in the Dodgers’ system, he has a level of offensive upside that could quickly prove impactful in the majors — prompting him to make the ever-rare jump straight from double-A.
