With the graduation of Alex Verdugo to seemingly an everyday player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the organization’s next wave of prospects is headlined by the trio of Gavin Lux, Dustin May and Keibert Ruiz.
It included Will Smith, though he too is now playing a prominent role for the Dodgers. As the Dodgers have relied on several of their top prospects over recent seasons, Lux, May and Ruiz were constantly linked to trade speculation for the past month.
All indications had the Dodgers against trading Lux or May at the deadline, while it was believed the club would part with Ruiz under the right circumstances.
They ultimately kept him at the July 31 trade deadline, but Ruiz’s season appears to have come to an end because of a broken finger, according to Ron Cervenka of ThinkBlueLA:
ThinkBlueLA has learned from several reliable sources that Dodgers 21-year-old top-ranked catching prospect Keibert Ruiz broke a finger on his right (throwing) hand.
The initial expectation is Ruiz will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2019 season. Thus, his time with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year is over after just nine games.
Ruiz was promoted from Double-A Tulsa on July 21. During the brief time with the Dodgers’ top Minor League affiliate, Ruiz hit .316/.350/.474 with two home runs and nine RBI. He homered in his debut with Oklahoma City.
Ruiz batted .254/.329/.330 with nine doubles, four home runs and 25 RBI in 76 games for Tulsa. It was his second stint in the Texas League, though first time being included on the Drillers’ Opening Day roster.
The 21-year-old was reportedly sought after by the Pittsburgh Pirates as they mulled over a potential trade involving All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez. However, the Pirates additionally wanted Lux or May as part of their return, which prevented trade talks from gaining steam.
With Ruiz seemingly poised to miss the final month of action, it creates an opportunity for Austin Barnes. His ongoing struggles led to a demotion to Oklahoma City nearly two weeks ago.
