CINCINNATI — Josue De Paula might be passing his audition.
When the 21-year-old prospect was called up from Double-A and made his major-league debut on Friday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if it was possible De Paula could play his way onto the team’s postseason roster.
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Roberts gave a diplomatic answer, saying, sure, that was possible but let the young man play a few games first.
Five games into his major-league career, De Paula appears to have the inside track to a spot on the Dodgers’ postseason bench.
“Yeah, he should be (under consideration),” Roberts said. “This is more of a trial run, no promises. Just obviously having Shohei (Ohtani) down and giving a guy that’s performed well an opportunity. Then you just sort of see where it takes us. I think right now that’s kind of where we’re at and take it day to day. I just hope he continues to perform and take those at-bats and then we’ll kind of see where we’re at in (the end of) September.”
Roberts’ confidence in De Paula was evident in Tuesday’s lineup – De Paula was at the top, batting leadoff. Roberts continued to praise De Paula for his composure and ability to control the strike zone. He had just two hits (a home run and double on Sunday in Miami) in his first nine big-league at-bats. But he also drew five walks.
“I think it actually speaks more to the heartbeat, the ability to not spike or get too emotional with this different environment, the big league environment,” Roberts said. “His DNA as a hitter has always been to control the strike zone. But some players, young players certainly, when they get into a different environment, they spike a little bit. But from what we’ve seen so far, he’s maintained that calm in the box and that’s really good to see.”
De Paula was 0 for 5 on Tuesday with two strikeouts and Roberts said he will get the day off on Wednesday.
“I didn’t love them today,” Roberts said of the at-bats. “I thought he was a little bit, not as patient as he has been.
“It’s growing pains, and you’re not going to have perfect approaches or perfect at-bats. It’s hard. Hitting is hard. But yeah, it’s still gathering information, and this is good for him.”
The Dodgers started September hoping catcher Dalton Rushing could make it back from the torn ligament in his right elbow enough to be a left-handed pinch-hit option in the postseason. But Rushing aggravated the elbow injury while working through a throwing progression. De Paula seems to have passed Rushing as a candidate for that role.
“It’s been good that you can even bring that question up,” Roberts said. “But it’s still very early as far as however many at-bats or plate appearances he has taken. But in this small sample, yeah, it’s been good. But it’s certainly a much different level of focus with the postseason. But baseball is still baseball. I hope he makes our decision hard.”
FREDDIE RETURNS
First baseman Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup on Tuesday after getting another day off on Monday. Roberts said Freeman’s ailing right knee “feels better” – but he said he will be “watching closely.”
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“At this point, it’s more of the eye test for me,” Roberts said. “Where we’re at right now, they all want to be in there, they all want to play. But I still have to be very mindful of what’s going to put him in the best position as we finish the season. And so, logically speaking, more, as far as playing time, is not always better. And so, how do we manage that?”
Freeman went into Tuesday’s game in a 1-for-26 slump – and went 3 for 5. It was his first three-hit game since Aug. 17 and was enough to earn another start on Wednesday.
“It looked good. It looked more like Freddie,” Roberts said after the game. “He was joking, saying, ‘If I get three hits, then can I be in there tomorrow?’ because my thought was he was going to be down tomorrow. But just my eyes, just watching him move, I feel good about him going tomorrow.”
PROSPECT NEWS
Outfield prospects Eduaro Quintero and Charles Davalan lead the group of prospects scheduled to play for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League this year. Quintero is the 19th-ranked prospect in the minors and Davalan is No. 86. Davalan is expected to play second base during the AFL.
Also expected to play for the Desert Dogs are third baseman Chase Harlan, catcher Anson Aroz and pitchers Marlon Nieves, Brooks Auger, Luke Fox, Cody Morse and Sam Horn. Horn was a quarterback for the University of Missouri when he suffered a broken tibia on his first play in 2025. Despite throwing just 15 innings in college and undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers drafted Horn in the 17th round of the 2025 draft.
Meanwhile, a Dodgers prospect has been named the California League’s MVP for the second consecutive year.
Quintero won the award with Rancho Cucamonga in 2025. Easton Shelton is this year’s MVP after leading the Cal League in home runs (37), RBIs (112) and slugging percentage (.644). Undrafted out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Shelton signed with the Dodgers after the 2023 draft. Primarily a first baseman, he spent three years in the Arizona Complex League before hitting .297 with a 1.047 OPS for Ontario this year.
ALSO
Roki Sasaki is scheduled to throw four simulated innings to hitters on Wednesday afternoon. He will be evaluated after that to see how soon he can rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
This takes Sasaki out of consideration for a start in the series finale on Thursday. The Dodgers are likely to go with a bullpen game.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 4-1, 1.91 ERA) at Reds (LHP Andrew Abbott, 6-11, 4.84 ERA), Wednesday, 3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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