The Dodgers’ slumping offense could use all the help it can get right now.
Which means, this year, picking the right September call-up will be much more than a late-season formality.
When the Dodgers resume play Tuesday for the beginning of a nine-game homestand, their roster is set to include a couple impactful changes, ones they hope can turn the page on a disappointing 13-14 slump in August.
The biggest move will be the return of Will Smith, who is on track to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday following a three-month absence with a confounding neck injury.
But then, there will be whoever the Dodgers call up from the minor leagues as rosters expand from 26 to 28 for September –– with the club looking at the extra slot it will get on the position player side as an opportunity to inject new life into its recently lagging lineup.
On multiple occasions this weekend, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that a left-handed hitter would be the team’s preference, given the right-handed-heavy nature of the current bench.
And while, eventually, that’s a role that could be filled by Dalton Rushing –– who remains unlikely to catch again this year because of a slight ligament tear in his elbow, –– the Dodgers have plenty of candidates to evaluate in the meantime.
“Certainly looking at a left-handed bat,” Roberts said, “I think that that’s something that we could use.”
Possible Prospect Call-Ups for Dodgers
The growing expectation in recent days is that James Tibbs III will get the most serious consideration.
A former first-round pick acquired at the trade deadline a year ago, the 23-year-old corner outfielder has been the Dodgers’ standout prospect in triple-A this season, and is the No. 7 ranked player in their farm system by MLB Pipeline.
Tibbs is batting .295 with 27 home runs, 96 RBIs and a .965 OPS (the latter three all rank second in the Pacific Coast League). He had perhaps his most consistent month in August, hitting .326 (tied for his highest average in a month this year) with an even walk-to-strikeout ratio (23 each).
Tibbs has also overcome a forearm injury that limited him to mostly DH and first base duties for most of May and June, showing what one evaluator described as nearly average MLB-quality outfield defense.
And if the Dodgers were to call him up, it might not be to just ride the bench either.
Roberts said Sunday that Teoscar Hernández could be a platoon candidate in left field, even after a two-hit game against the Tigers that included his first home run in almost a month.
“He’s still a big part of [our plans], regardless,” Roberts said of Hernández.
But, given his drastic splits this year (.273 average, .809 OPS against left-handers; .239 average, .668 OPS against right-handers), Roberts also noted that the team has to “ultimately make a decision on what’s the best for our ball club.”
Uncoincidentally, the left-handed-hitting Tibbs has seemingly been getting groomed in left field over the last several weeks, making 7 of his last 10 defensive starts there after playing the position only five times previously this year.
Tibbs was also notably given a day off at the team’s Oklahoma City affiliate on Sunday, in yet another sign he could soon be on his way to the majors.
The Dodgers, of course, will have other options to consider ahead of Tuesday. Their OKC roster includes several other left-handed options in Ryan Ward, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland.
One advantage of those three players: They are already on the 40-man roster, and also have prior MLB experience.
Ward (who had three home runs and a .738 OPS in 20 big-league games earlier this season) could slot directly into left field. Kim (who appeared to find something with his swing by going 12-for-25 with OKC this week) or Freeland (who is the most experienced option of that trio, but has also underwhelmed at the plate since being demoted last month) could free Tommy Edman up for more outfield playing time by factoring in at second base.
As of Sunday night, Roberts said he was not certain which direction the club would go.
One name that does not appear to be in consideration for now: Top-ranked prospect Josue De Paula, another left-handed-hitting outfielder who has torn up double-A this season (.307 average, 26 home runs, 99 RBIs).
For as tantalizing as the 21-year-old’s potential is –– he is a consensus top-10 prospect in the sport –– he has yet to reach triple-A and remains a major question mark defensively. And though he will have to go on the 40-man roster after the season (unlikely Tibbs, who isn’t Rule 5 draft-eligible yet), the Dodgers have been wary of rushing his development.
There will be other calculations for the Dodgers to make with the dawn of September.
Current Roster shake-up for Los Angeles
Smith’s return should squeeze one of Hunter Feduccia or Ben Rortvedt off the roster (Rortvedt is the more likely candidate there, though he would have to be DFA’d since he’s out of minor-league options). However, Roberts at least left open the possibility of keeping three catchers initially as Smith works his back up to speed.
The club is also still looking for the right mix in center field, where the void left by Andy Pages’ injury has been difficult to fill.
The team will be calling up an extra pitcher, too, getting needed reinforcement amid Roki Sasaki’s blister, Shohei Ohtani’s uncertain pitching plan, and a recent heavy workload for the highest-leverage arms in its bullpen. Justin Wrobleski seems like the logical move there, with the left-hander eligible to return from the injured list and shift into a multi-inning relief role.
All of it, the Dodgers hope, will help them snap out of their second-half lull.
Some years, September call-ups are forgettable. This season, it could be crucial to getting their season back on track.
