Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Since being called up from Double-A Tulsa earlier this month as the corresponding move for Shohei Ohtani going on the 15-day injured list, Josue De Paula has done nothing but impress his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates and coaching staff.
The top prospect has flashed his elite offensive potential, showing remarkable plate discipline and power while drawing comparisons to New York Mets slugger Juan Soto.
With Ohtani returning from the IL on Wednesday, questions remain about De Paula’s role with the Dodgers moving forward. But the expectation is that he will compete with Dalton Rushing for the final spot on the team’s postseason roster.
“He’s done a great job,” manager Dave Roberts said of De Paula. “We made the move with Eliezer Alfonzo out on option with Andy (Pages) coming back. With Shohei coming back, I’m just not sure what the counter is going to be. But to your question, Josue has done a fantastic job.”
Rushing has been on the 10-day injured list since Sept. 6 after re-aggravating his right elbow while playing catch. However, he took live batting practice against Will Klein on Tuesday and should be activated in the coming days.
That would give Rushing only a few games to show the Dodgers he is back up to game speed and deserving of a spot on their postseason roster.
“Dalton, taking his at-bats. The thought is to give him an opportunity at some point in time to get activated and see how it looks coming off the bench,” Roberts said. “So I’m not sure if that’s tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, something like that.”
Rushing was in the midst of a breakout season before the right elbow injury threw him off course, so it will be interesting to see which direction the Dodgers decide to take.
Dodgers postseason roster battle
The Dodgers will consider several factors when choosing between De Paula and Rushing for the final spot on their postseason roster, including the ability to put together a good at-bat, not chasing pitches out of the strike zone and power.
“Quality of at-bat, conducting an at-bat, the ability to swing at strikes, take balls, get on base, get a hit,” Roberts explained. “There’s potential slug with both those guys. It’s going to be a good debate.
“I think hitting off the bench is very difficult, and you’re just trying to figure out who gives us the best chance. To be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time that he’s missed. To kind of think that you have three games to get back into playoff form, it’s tough to do. It’s not a knock on him. He’s been great for us, but it’s still tough.
“And also when you’re talking about having the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue. But again, we have to have those conversations and make a decision.”
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