The Los Angeles Dodgers added right-handed pitchers Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling to the 40-man roster on Friday, ahead of the deadline to do so in order to protect from losing a player in the Rule 5 Draft.
The moves came as no surprise, given the pitchers relative proximity to reaching the Majors; both will see time in big league camp next spring.
Cotton broke his non-pitching wrist during Spring Training and began the 2015 season on the disabled list. He returned to action in late May, working his way through all four full-season affiliates before finishing the year with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Overall, he posted a 2.45 ERA in 95.2 innings while striking out 114 batters. He’d go on to pitch for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 17 batters in 14.1 innings and posting a 3.77 ERA.
A 20th-rounder in 2012, Cotton has proven to be one of the Dodgers’ better late-round picks in the recent history. While he doesn’t offer prototypical size, Cotton possesses an above-average fastball that’s been clocked in the upper 90s and a plus changeup that gives hitters fits.
He also mixes in a breaking ball. Now that he’s on the 40-man roster, Cotton should expect to make his Major-League debut in 2016, whether it’s in the rotation or out of the bullpen.
Stripling likely would have debuted in the Majors in 2014 had he not suffered a torn UCL in Spring Training of that year. He underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season.
Stripling put in the requisite work and returned to the mound in 2015, hardly missing a beat. Also a 2012 draft pick, he was signed as a senior out of Texas A&M in the fifth round.
Generally, seniors aren’t taken that early, but Stripling’s talent made the selection a bargain. Prior to the injury, he offered a quality four-pitch mix with good command.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, his post-injury repertoire is identical. He mixed all of his pitches and threw strikes last season, inducing plenty of ground balls and striking out his fair share. He ended the season with a 3.66 ERA in 14 starts.
While the main concerns for Stripling are remaining healthy and building up innings, his stuff could warrant a call up sometime next season.
Like Cotton, Stripling could figure into the team’s plans in the rotation or the bullpen. His resilience gives the Dodgers yet another quality arm in an already pitching-rich system.
