The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their series against the Cleveland Guardians with a doubleheader that also saw Michael Busch draw two starts over the three games.
Busch was recalled on Tuesday when J.D. Martinez was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left groin tightness. The top prospect started as the designated hitter in the first game but went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Busch was back in the lineup for the series finale at DH and this time made more of an impact during the 9-3 victory. With the score tied at two, Busch blasted his first career home run in the fourth inning to give L.A. a decided lead.
He later drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, but the first homer will be something Busch remembers forever and enjoyed, via SportsNet LA:
“It felt good. Obviously, that first at-bat didn’t go the way I wanted it to. But I made a little adjustment and tried to slow things down a little bit. Got a good pitch to hit and just tried to throw a barrel on it. I tried to keep it pretty simple.”
Although Busch’s friends and family were not at the stadium to celebrate with him after the game, they still reached out to share their support for Busch:
“It’s pretty cool, honestly. Friends and family reach out when something like that happens. Just try to embrace it and enjoy it. It was pretty cool to have a couple RBIs and a win.”
Busch has had a slow start to his Major League career, hitting .192 with a .579 on-base plus slugging percentage in 52 at-bats, but the expectations are offense will be his carrying tool.
Busch is now in his third stint with the club as he looks to prove he can be a valuable piece moving forward and potentially earn a spot on the Dodgers’ playoff roster, although the odds are stacked against him there.
Michael Busch ‘earned his way’ onto Dodgers roster
Busch won the Pacific Coast League Player of the Month for July and he continued that streak into August by batting .343/.432/.686 with four doubles, one triple, six home runs and 16 RBI in 18 games.
Because of his production, Busch forced the Dodgers’ hand to add him onto their roster and became the obvious choice to fill in for Martinez.
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