The Los Angeles Dodgers at last put Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list, which has created an opportunity for top prospect Josue De Paula.
De Paula is the Dodgers’ first position player prospect to get promoted directly from Double-A Tulsa under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s tenure.
Josue De Paula surprised
Back in Spring Training, De Paula expressed a belief his MLB debut could come as soon as this season. But given that the calendar had reached September, he no longer was as confident.
“I was never 100% sure,” he said during an interview on SportsNet LA. “I always had in the back of my mind it could happen, but I never tried to think too much about it. But when it did happen, I wasn’t really expecting it because we really only had about four days until the season was ending. So I was thinking four days, playoffs, and go home.
“It was not something I was expecting. I was sitting in front of my locker and [manager Eric Wedge] called me in his office and basically told me, ‘Hey, we’re going to get you on a flight tomorrow. You’re going to be with the big boys.’ I was in disbelief.”
De Paula was so surprised that he needed further clarification on what exactly was transpiring. Just to be sure Tulsa Drillers manager Eric Wedge did not mean he was getting called up to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“I literally was like, ‘What? I’m going up where?'” De Paula recalled. “He was like, ‘You’re going up with the big dogs.'”
Furthermore, joining the Dodgers from the Double-A level was not something De Paula believed was feasible. “It took me off guard,” he said. “But when it happened I was so happy.”
De Paula’s role
The 21-year-old made his MLB debut in the series opener against the Miami Marlins, starting as the Dodgers’ designated hitter and batting seventh in the lineup. De Paula went 0-for-3 with one walk in the win. He demonstrated a lot of the plate discipline that earned De Paula a ranking as one of baseball’s top prospects.
De Paula is expected to receive the bulk of his opportunities as the DH while Ohtani is on the injured list, but may occasionally make starts at either corner outfield position as well.
However his starts come, De Paula wants to show the Dodgers “what I’m about” without getting consumed by the reality of being at the Major League level for the first time.
“Nothing really has to change, especially on the offensive side,” he added. “Just do what I know how to do. At the end of the day I love competing. So whoever is on the mound, looking to take their head off. I just love competing.”
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