Dodgers Roster News: Gavin Stone Officially Called Up, Alex Vesia Sent to Minors
The day Dodger fans have patiently waited for has finally arrived. On Wednesday, the Dodgers officially called up No. 4 prospect Gavin Stone from Triple-A, setting him up to make his MLB debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. To make room on the 26-man roster, the team sent LHP Alex Vesia back down to Triple-A.
Stone’s debut is one of the more highly anticipated Dodger debuts in recent memory. The former penultimate pick in the shortened 2020 draft has flown up the prospect boards over the last few years, making it virtually impossible for the Dodgers to keep him in the minor leagues.
After dominating in spring training this season, Stone had a rough first outing in Triple-A, but has settled in very nicely.
Over his last two outings, Stone has pitched 9.2 innings, allowing just one run while striking out 15.
Stone has one of the nastiest changeups in the game, and it’s going to be on full display on Wednesday. If he’s pitching with his best stuff, he’s going to get a ton of swings-and-misses against this deep Phillies lineup.
As for the corresponding move, the Dodgers needed to create a spot on the active roster, so shockingly but not surprisingly, LA used an option to send struggling reliever Alex Vesia to Triple-A Oklahoma City. After being one of the better left-handed options in baseball for the last two seasons (2.19 ERA over 94.1 IP between 2021 and 2022), Vesia has had trouble keeping people off the base paths this season. He has a sky-high 2.806 WHIP in 10.1 innings and has allowed nine earned runs in his 13 appearances.
The emergence — or re-emergence rather — of Victor Gonzalez this season gives Vesia time to work on some things back at AAA for a few weeks.
First pitch for Stone’s MLB debut on Wednesday is an early 1:10 p.m. PST. It’s going to be must-watch for all Dodger fans, as Stone is yet another key piece of this young core that’s going to define this 2023 season.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!
