Add The California Post on Google Two times in the last two weeks, the Dodgers have had the chance to bring up one of their highly touted outfield prospects for the stretch run of the year.
Both times, however, they opted for different –– and, at least initially, somewhat curious –– roster moves to reinforce their late-season lineup.
First, there were the team’s September call-ups when rosters expanded at the beginning of the month. They summoned infielder Alex Freeland over other options such as breakout triple-A star James Tibbs III. They activated catcher Dalton Rushing off the injured list, bringing him back for strictly hitting duties as he battled a slight tear in an elbow ligament.
This past weekend, Rushing’s return to the IL after a flare-up of his elbow provided another opportunity for the Dodgers to shake up the roster.
Once again, they needed a left-handed bat off the bench. Once again, they could have considered Tibbs (who has 28 home runs and a .952 OPS in triple-A this year) or perhaps Josue De Paula (their top-ranked prospect who has 26 home runs and a .942 OPS in double-A this year) or even Ryan Ward (the long-time minor-leaguer who did hit three home runs in just 55 MLB at-bats earlier this year, but is also mired in a two-week slump in triple-A right now, batting .115 over his last 16 games).
Instead, the club chose a surprise alternative, tapping Eliezer Alfonzo to be a third catcher –– and effectively freeing up primary backstops Will Smith and Hunter Feduccia to be pinch-hitters on the days they don’t start.
However, both manager Dave Roberts and general manager Brandon Gomes have defended the moves in recent days, explaining a simple thought process that boiled down to trusting what was already on their MLB roster and not rocking the boat with the unknown of unproven, albeit talented, prospects this late in the year.
“It’s just hard to predict what minor-league performance [will translate to up here],” Gomes told the California Post on Monday.
Someone like Tibbs was under consideration to give the Dodgers another left-handed bat –– until the club decided Rushing was ready to come back from the IL, effectively filling that spot on the bench.
Freeland, meanwhile, was added to free up utilityman Tommy Edman to play center field in Andy Pages’ absence.
Again: The Dodgers were trusting the pieces already on their big-league roster, and making moves designed to prove as much flexibility maneuvering them around as possible.
Sunday’s recall of Alfonzo was more unexpected, but reflected the club’s growing confidence in Feduccia as a legitimate big-league weapon.
A former Dodgers’ farmhand who was dealt to Tampa Bay last year, Feduccia returned at this year’s deadline –– amid injuries to Rushing and Smith –– and quickly established himself as more than just a temporary fill-in behind the plate.
Though the 29-year-old lefty bat has just a .245 average in 25 games, he is reaching base at a .333 clip (giving the Dodgers a consistent on-base presence at the bottom of their lineup) and even more importantly has proven dangerous against right-handed pitching (his .300 average vs righties since the trade deadline is 50 points better than anyone else on the team).
Thus, when Rushing suffered his elbow setback while trying to continue a throwing progression this weekend, the Dodgers deemed Feduccia the best bet to replace his role as a left-handed bench threat.
Calling up Alfonzo allows them to do so without worrying about their catching depth mid-game. Conversely, it also makes Smith (who is still being eased back into an everyday role anyway following his three-month neck injury) an easier pinch-hit option on the days Feduccia starts.
“I think it speaks to how Feddy has handled himself up here,” Gomes said of the move. “He has just conducted really good at-bats, and performed well vs right [handed pitching].”
“It’s just more of having the ability to use Feddy when he’s not starting to be a left-handed bat,” Roberts echoed, “and to be able to use Will off the bench as a bat while he’s building up, [without forcing us afterward] to catch him, on days that he doesn’t start.”
There will still be corners of the Dodgers’ fan base, of course, wondering why the team hasn’t leveraged some of the bigger names in its top-ranked farm system to bolster its push for a third-straight World Series.
After all, the 23-year-old Tibbs has been among the best hitters in all of triple-A this year. The 21-year-old De Paula is considered one of the best overall prospects in the sport. While both lack any MLB experience, they would bring a level of raw talent that could pop in the majors immediately.
Simply put, the Dodgers didn’t feel that was needed right now –– nor worth the risk of rushing either player up before they would have had a clear role to play regularly in the big leagues.
Instead, they are keeping the faith in a veteran lineup that has spearheaded a five-game winning streak entering Tuesday, and hoping for long-awaited signs of life at the plate recently even without a flashy minor-league call-up.
