The Los Angeles Dodgers will call up outfielder Josue De Paula, MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall prospect, to make his big league debut Friday in Miami, manager Dave Roberts announced after Wednesday night's 14-1 win over the Reds at Dodger Stadium.
The move comes as the Dodgers placed superstar Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list to recover from lingering left knee and right biceps injuries. Ohtani has been out of the lineup for six of the past seven games and was already ruled out from pitching again in 2026.
De Paula will get opportunities at designated hitter while Ohtani is sidelined, as well as some reps in corner outfield spots. The 21-year-old is not on the Dodgers' 40-man roster, so the team will need to clear a spot before his contract is selected from Double-A Tulsa on Friday.
"I think that our player development group is very confident in his ability to conduct an at-bat," Roberts said. "You could argue that the talent in Double-A is similar to Triple-A, as far as pure arms and arm talent. I think that we've seen him in camp for two or three years. He doesn't run from velocity. He controls the strike zone. And I think this is just a good opportunity for him to kind of cut his teeth in the big leagues."
It's uncommon for Los Angeles to fast-track a promotion like this, but the organization believes De Paula's bat will play at the big league level immediately. MLB Pipeline considers him to be the Dodgers' most advanced young hitter since Corey Seager.
Dominant Double-A performance
In his first full season at Double-A, De Paula has slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs, 104 RBIs and 106 runs scored across 583 plate appearances. Despite being a below-average runner, he has stolen 31 bases this season, though he's been caught 10 times.
De Paula ranks seventh among Texas League hitters with a .939 OPS and is the second-youngest player among the league's top 10 hitters. His hit and power combination is considered among the best of any player in the minor leagues.
The Brooklyn-born De Paula moved to the Dominican Republic while in high school before the Dodgers signed him as part of their 2022 international signing class. One of the biggest question marks surrounding the prospect has been his defense, though the Dodgers appear confident enough in his offensive ability to overlook any defensive limitations for now.
The promotion gives Los Angeles an infusion of youth as they prepare for what they hope will be another deep postseason run. With Ohtani's status uncertain and the team dealing with other injury concerns — Freddie Freeman was also out of Wednesday's lineup due to right knee soreness, though Roberts said that's not expected to be an IL situation — De Paula's call-up provides both immediate help and a glimpse at the organization's future.
