Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers were going to call up a left-handed bat for Tuesday’s September call-ups, but nobody expected that bat to be Alex Freeland.
Most of the expected players to enter the fold were outfielders, with Ryan Ward—who already had a 40-man spot and had the potential to break the Dodgers out their offensive struggles—being a prime option for selection. Another, less-likely option would have been James Tibbs III, though he didn’t have a 40-man spot heading into Tuesday.
Roberts said that rather than call up an outfielder to platoon with the right-handed-batting Teoscar Hernandez, the Dodgers trusted him to “right the ship” and went with an infielder.
Freeland isn’t the Dodgers’ worst option, as he provides some more left-handed-hitting depth in the infield on days when Tommy Edman plays in the outfield, and he has had a solid season in Triple-A so far.
Through 38 games, he hit five homers and drove in 26 runs, both of which are higher tallies than his MLB numbers through 72 games. His .787 OPS is solid, and his numbers against right-handed pitchers are far better than his results against southpaws.
Across all levels this season, Freeland has a .731 OPS against right-handers, which far outranks his .570 OPS against left-handers. The Dodgers have the infielder playing second on Tuesday as they face the St. Louis Cardinals’ right-handed Michael McGreevy.
Why Would the Dodgers Have Called Up James Tibbs III or Ryan Ward?
Alongside Hernandez’s struggles, both Ward and Tibbs are having great seasons in Triple-A this season.
Ward isn’t producing at the level of his PCL MVP-winning 2025 season, but still has 17 homers and 75 RBIs through 93 games this year. He had a couple of brief stints in the majors, playing 20 games and posting a .738 OPS with three homers and 12 RBIs, ranking above league average during his brief big-league service time.
Tibbs is having an even better season than Ward in Triple-A, having started the season incredibly hot. He has 27 homers and 96 RBIs on the season, both of which rank second-best in the Pacific Coast League. Additionally, his .965 OPS is the second-highest among qualified hitters in the PCL this year.
Both outfielders have been solid during the 2025 season in Triple-A, but the Dodgers’ faith in Teoscar Hernandez isn’t easily broken. Both Ward and Tibbs could come up at some point in the brief remainder of the season, but they’ll stay put for the time being.
