Josue De Paula may not have gotten a hit in his MLB debut Friday night, but he came away with a lot of positives.
For starters, he took his first two at-bats to full counts, and his excellent eye led to a walk.
After that walk, he at first appeared to have successfully stolen second, though, he his hand came off the bag and he was tagged out.
He also had some hard-hit balls, something manager Dave Roberts said is what they were looking for out of the organization’s top prospect.
“We saw a good walk, some hard contact, and he hung in there against the left-hander to hit a ball hard down the line first baseman makes a good play, but he’ll be in there tomorrow and the next day, and he’ll get his first one soon enough.”
What’s next for Josue De Paula and the Dodgers?
The young slugger will continue to get chances to get that first hit as DH, and it appears he’ll have a couple of weeks to do so, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic.
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Finding someone who can step in for the injured Shohei Ohtani is a tall task, but De Paula indicates he’s ready for this opportunity.
“Just what I’m about,” De Paula told Woo. “Nothing I feel I really have to change, especially on the offensive side. Just do what I know how to do. At the end of the day, I love competing, so whoever’s on the mound, I’m looking to take their head off.”
Could Josue De Paula play in the postseason?
If De Paula makes an impact, that two-week runway could be even longer, though his postseason chances are a bit murkier.
In short, he would need an exemption from the Commissioner’s Office, something that would only come in case of an injury.
With outfielder Andy Pages and catcher Dalton Rushing both sidelined, though, there’s a chance that there will be a roster spot for De Paula.
“The Dodgers hope both players can return in time for October, but both cases are unlikely to be decided until near the end of the regular season,” Woo reports. “At that time, if one player isn’t deemed healthy enough to return, the Dodgers could petition De Paula as an eligible replacement.”
All of that is looking into the future, though. For now, Dodgers fans are happy to see the young player who perhaps could be the franchise’s next star get his first taste of the big leagues.
If he continues the good at-bats, the hits will come, and he’ll show himself ready for the future opportunities that may be coming his way.
