Dodgers Sideline Ohtani for 15 Days, Promoting 21-Year-Old Josue De Paula

Q: Can top prospect Josue De Paula's explosive minor league power successfully fill the massive void left by Ohtani's sudden injury?

No — Josue De Paula can help soften the blow, but he is unlikely to truly replace Shohei Ohtani’s impact. De Paula arrives with a strong case to contribute immediately. The 21-year-old outfielder, expected to join the Dodgers in Miami, has dominated Double-A Tulsa with a slash line around .303/.401/.547, 27 home runs, 104 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 124 games. Reports also describe him as one of baseball’s top overall prospects, with advanced plate discipline, plus power and the potential to handle regular at-bats at designated hitter. That said, the jump from Double-A to the majors is steep, especially in late September pressure games. Even elite prospects often need time to adjust to major league velocity, sequencing and scouting. De Paula may provide energy, left-handed power and better lineup depth, but expecting him to duplicate Ohtani’s middle-of-the-order presence would be unrealistic. Ohtani’s void is especially large because, even while playing through pain, he had still produced roughly a .277/.380/.522 line with 30 homers on the season. His star value also changes how opponents pitch to the rest of the Dodgers lineup. De Paula cannot replicate that immediately, and he is being called up to supplement a contender, not carry it. What De Paula can do is give Los Angeles a credible short-term bat while the club prioritizes Ohtani’s health for October. If he reaches base, taps into his power and avoids being overwhelmed, that would already make the promotion a success.

3 articles · Updated · MLB Trade Rumors · Sep 10

Shohei Ohtani is headed to the 15-day injured list with the stint backdated to Monday, giving him a chance to return for the Dodgers' second-to-last series against San Diego.
Dave Roberts said the immediate issue is Ohtani's right biceps, which flared during a Monday at-bat, on top of the knee problem that has kept him from pitching since early July.
Los Angeles waited through Ohtani's recent in-and-out availability—he sat four straight games, returned Monday and then missed the next two—before deciding two weeks of rest was more valuable than day-to-day use.
Josue De Paula, 21, is expected to take most of the DH at-bats; the Dodgers' top prospect is hitting .302 with 26 homers and 31 steals at Double-A after skipping Triple-A entirely.
Roberts said Ohtani likely will not be at 100% even after the minimum stay, but the club believes the break can leave him fit enough to contribute before the postseason.