Kyle Hurt was among Los Angeles Dodgers prospects to make their MLB debut during the 2023 season, with his opportunity to display power stuff coming late in the year.
Initially starting out at Double-A with the Tulsa Drillers, Hurt logged 65 innings pitched with a 4.15 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 3.42 FIP. He turned 25 years old midway through the year and earned a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City in August.
When active rosters expanded for the final month of the regular season, the Dodgers rewarded Hurt with a callup for his debut on September 12. A stellar appearance in his two innings of work created a buzz around whether Hurt could be an option for the Dodgers bullpen in the postseason, but it wasn’t in the cards due to options ahead of him.
Hurt nevertheless soaked in the chance to join the Dodgers roster for the first time in his career.
“It was a pretty crazy last 24 hours, to be honest with you,” he said in September. “I got a phone call pretty late [Monday] night from Trav, the Triple-A manager told me I was coming here. It was pretty exciting. I stayed up for a while thinking about it. It was a great feeling though.
“It was really cool. It was a long day traveling and all that but it was awesome being on that field.”
Hurt returned to OKC, and he would later be recognized with the 2023 Branch Rickey Award, which highlights the best Minor League seasons in the organization.
Overall, Hurt posted an MiLB-best 152 strikeouts over 92 innings, with a .205 batting average allowed.
Kyle Hurt 2023 highlight
Hurt’s only big league action came against the San Diego Padres. After seven strong innings from Lance Lynn, Hurt was called upon to finish the game out.
Facing Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado, Hurt set them down in order, requiring just 11 pitches to do so.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent him back out for the ninth inning, and Hurt proceeded to strike out the side.
2024 outlook
Hurt figures to be in the mix for some time with the Dodgers this upcoming season, however, the only obstacle remains in what the team views him as.
Hurt’s ability to go multiple innings is a valuable tool, and when coupled with high-octane arsenal, he is a solid piece. The Dodgers could also keep him in Triple-A to iron out some more of his repertoire, after a flash of success in 2023 that he’s certain to build on.
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