The Dodgers made a notable roster move on Wednesday, optioning Josue De Paula to Triple-A Oklahoma City and putting the rookie’s playoff chances in serious doubt.
De Paula had jumped straight from Double-A to the majors, bypassing Triple-A on the way up. Now, it appears he may finally be headed to that level after all.
The outfielder, who has mostly filled a designated hitter role, was never a sure thing for the postseason roster. Even so, his recent surge had created real optimism that he could stick around for the club’s push toward a three-peat.
In 10 major league games, De Paula has already turned heads. He’s batting .323 with a home run, seven RBIs and a stolen base, and the numbers go beyond batting average. He owns a .500 on-base percentage and a .581 slugging percentage, good for a 1.081 OPS.
He was productive again Tuesday night, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. That performance followed a strong run in the minors, where he won Texas League Most Valuable Player honors with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.
The timing of the move lines up with Shohei Ohtani’s return from injury on Wednesday, which forced the Dodgers to clear space on the roster. De Paula ended up being the odd man out.
The decision also suggests the Dodgers may be expecting a healthy Dalton Rushing in October. De Paula’s path to the postseason roster would likely have required an injury elsewhere and a waiver from the Commissioner’s Office.
The two players who might have opened that door were center fielder Andy Pages, who returned Tuesday, and Rushing, who has been dealing with elbow pain from a partial UCL tear. If Rushing is able to return, he was already expected to be limited to hitting only during the postseason stretch.
By moving De Paula now, the Dodgers are signaling confidence that Rushing will be available for the playoff run. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that the team will know more about Rushing later this week.
If Rushing is not ready, De Paula could still come back before the playoffs. A player optioned to the minors has to stay there for at least 10 days, Woo reported.
“By optioning De Paula on Wednesday, the Dodgers ensured he’d be eligible to be recalled by Oct. 3, the date of the first scheduled games of the National League Division Series,” which is almost definitely the first playoff series for the Dodgers, Woo wrote.
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