BREAKING: Dodgers Call Up Young Fireballer for Last Week of Regular Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up Edgardo Henriquez for the penultimate regular-season series against the San Diego Padres, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. This is a much-needed boost to a Dodgers’ pitching staff that has been injury-plagued all year. In corresponding moves, Los Angeles optioned Ben Casparius and transferred Gavin Stone to the 60-day injured list, ending Stone’s season.

Dodgers Calling Up Edgardo Henriquez

Rapid Rise

The 22-year-old began this year at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and rose through four levels of minor-league ball before joining the Dodgers. Originally from Venezuela, Henriquez was an international signing by Los Angeles in 2019. The right-hander made his first professional appearance the same year in Rookie ball. Since the 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the pandemic, the right-hander resumed his career in 2021 in the Arizona Complex League. The youngster’s ERA was almost 5.00, but Henriquez’s strikeout rate was over 33%. The next year, the phenom’s ERA was half a run lower and his walk rate was down, implying that he has the stuff but control is a work in progress.

Henriquez missed all of the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Back With a Vengeance

In 2024, the right-hander features a 2.72 ERA with a 12.8 walk rate while striking out nearly 40% of batters with a nasty slider and a fastball that has hit 104 mph.

The Postseason Push

The Dodgers host the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium tonight for a pivotal three-game series. If Los Angeles wins the series, they will clinch the National League West Division and a first-round bye in the postseason. Whatever happens, it seems clear that Henriquez’s presence in the Dodger clubhouse means he is auditioning for a spot on the October roster.

One can’t help but remember when the Los Angeles Angels brought up a young Francisco Rodriguez in the last week of the regular season in 2002. The Angels rode his right arm to a World Series win against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers wouldn’t mind a similar outcome. We will wait and see.