Josue De Paula quickly made a name for himself on the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ star-studded roster following his call-up on September 11.
Over 11 games, the 21-year-old slashed .323/.500/.581 with a home run and seven RBI. De Paula’s plate discipline was also incredible in his first MLB stint: he drew 11 walks and struck out just five times over 31 at-bats.
But despite his stellar opening act, De Paula was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on September 23 as a corresponding move after Shohei Ohtani was activated from the 15-day injured list following right biceps inflammation and left knee soreness.
Yet De Paula’s option doesn’t mean he won’t make the postseason roster. All optioned position players must spend 10 days in the minors before returning to the major leagues.
The Dodgers play Game 1 of their NLDS series against either the Atlanta Braves or the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, so he will be eligible to make Los Angeles’ NLDS roster.
De Paula has made a strong case for a roster spot, and the baseball world is acknowledging it.
Josue De Paula Projected to Make Dodgers’ NLDS Roster
In a September 28 article, The Athletic‘s Katie Woo projected that De Paula would get an NLDS roster spot over catcher Dalton Rushing.
“De Paula should get the nod over Dalton Rushing as the left-handed bat off the bench, a decision that seemed all but certain when the club optioned De Paula within the exact number of days to preserve his NLDS roster eligibility last week,” Woo wrote.
However, Woo added that De Paula’s role will be strictly to hit. Ohtani is locked in as the designated hitter, and the Dodgers likely won’t shake up their outfield trio of Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker to give De Paula more playing time.
Still, the great plate discipline and pop he showed in September could become a valuable weapon off the bench.
Meanwhile, Rushing has recorded just 10 at-bats since Aug. 1 because of a partial UCL tear in his right elbow. He has been limited to hitting only, which doesn’t help his chances of earning an NLDS roster spot.
Elsewhere at the position, Will Smith will serve as the primary catcher, while Hunter Feduccia is expected to provide insurance behind the plate.
Los Angeles likely won’t carry three catchers for a five-game series. Given Rushing’s limited playing time and inability to catch, and De Paula’s hot start in the majors, the Dodgers’ top prospect will likely get his first taste of the postseason after just 11 regular-season games.
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