In sustaining an abundance of injuries this season the Los Angeles Dodgers have been forced to rely on their ballyhooed organizational depth. That’s led to Ross Stripling, Andrew Toles and Julio Urias being among those who made their respective Major League debuts.
Stripling was named the Dodgers’ fifth starter at the outset of the season, Toles provided a spark in the outfield, and Urias has been in and out of the rotation. Most recently, Grant Dayton and Rob Segedin have impressed.
“I think the thing with these young players, and not only the pitchers, is they don’t scare off,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said.
“They’re confident, wanting to learn and get better, I like the pulse. A lot of the credit goes to the individual players, but also our player development has done a great job getting these guys prepared for the Major Leagues.”
The Dodgers’ depth has played a significant role in the club’s ability to offset the losses of Brett Anderson, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, Brandon McCarthy and Alex Wood, among others, at various stages throughout the season.
Although he had some Major League experience last season, Trayce Thompson surpassed expectations earlier in the year as he took advantage of playing time. All the while Thompson carried himself like one of the veterans in the clubhouse.
“Outside of the skill set, the way they’ve handled themselves is a testament to everyone,” Roberts said. While the Dodgers have managed to close the gap on the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, they at some point hope to inch closer to full strength.
Anderson is a candidate to be reinstated from the disabled list at any point now, while the likes of Ethier, Kershaw, Thompson and Wood are targeting September return.
