Josue De Paula Could Earn Dodgers Postseason Role During September Audition

With Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list, De Paula is expected to receive the majority of the available at-bats at designated hitter, while also seeing some time in the corner outfield. MLB’s Dodgers beat coverage described Ohtani’s absence as giving De Paula a real runway to play rather than simply sit on the bench.

And if he immediately proves he can hit at this level?

Dave Roberts is not closing any doors for October.

“Anything’s possible,” Roberts said when asked whether De Paula could potentially earn a postseason role.

That is not a promise.

It is an opportunity.

Dodgers Want to See Whether De Paula’s Approach Translates

The Dodgers are bypassing Triple-A entirely with De Paula, calling him directly from Double-A Tulsa for his Major League debut in Miami.

That is an aggressive promotion for an organization that does not frequently skip a developmental level with its top prospects.

But Roberts explained that the Dodgers believe De Paula possesses an advanced enough offensive approach to handle the jump.

Los Angeles’ player-development staff is particularly confident in his strike-zone control and ability to handle velocity. Roberts noted that the quality of pure arm talent in Double-A can compare favorably with what hitters see at Triple-A, giving the organization confidence that De Paula is ready for this test.

The numbers certainly support the promotion.

De Paula finished his first full Double-A season batting .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs, 104 RBIs and 106 runs scored. He also stole 31 bases while becoming MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect.

That combination of power and plate discipline is why the Dodgers are interested in finding out whether his offense can help them immediately.

Ohtani’s Absence Creates a Rare Opening

Under normal circumstances, there would be a simple problem with finding regular at-bats for De Paula.

The Dodgers already have Ohtani occupying the DH spot virtually every day.

Ohtani’s IL stint changes that equation.

Rather than rotating veterans through DH or using the opening solely to create rest days, the Dodgers can now place De Paula there consistently without asking him to immediately prove himself defensively.

That matters because defense remains one of the less-developed parts of his game.

De Paula has spent time in both left and right field at Tulsa, but the Dodgers know his bat is significantly ahead of his glove. Giving him most of his initial opportunities at DH allows the club to evaluate what it is most interested in right now: whether his offensive approach works against Major League pitching.

He will still get some corner-outfield work, giving Roberts another way to keep him involved once other players rotate through the designated-hitter spot.

September Could Turn Into an October Audition

The Dodgers do not need De Paula to immediately become a middle-of-the-order star.

They need information.

Can he control the strike zone against Major League breaking balls?

Does the power translate?

Can he handle high velocity?

Does he look overwhelmed when pitchers begin attacking the weaknesses in his swing?

The next few weeks give Los Angeles an opportunity to answer those questions before postseason rosters are set.

MLB’s Dodgers beat report specifically identified De Paula as a player who could carve out a postseason role if he hits immediately.

That still represents a significant challenge.

De Paula has never taken a Triple-A at-bat. He is going from the Texas League directly into a pennant race against Major League pitching.

A poor first week would not suddenly change his status as one of the sport’s elite prospects.

Likewise, a strong first week should not automatically guarantee an October roster spot.

But a sustained strong showing could make the decision much more interesting.

His Postseason Eligibility Is Not Automatic

There is also an important roster detail.

Because De Paula was not on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster before Sept. 1, he is not automatically eligible for the postseason under MLB’s standard rules.

That does not necessarily prevent him from playing in October.

MLB allows clubs to petition the Commissioner’s Office to add a player who was in the organization by Aug. 31 as an injury replacement, provided the injured player being replaced has served the required minimum IL time.

De Paula was already in the Dodgers organization well before that deadline.

So there is a pathway for Los Angeles to include him if his performance warrants it and the roster circumstances allow.

Again, that makes his postseason candidacy possible, not automatic.

Dodgers Have Little to Lose by Finding Out

The timing of De Paula’s arrival makes this one of the more fascinating September auditions the Dodgers have had in years.

Ohtani is unavailable.

De Paula has dominated Double-A.

The Dodgers are already headed toward October.

And one of baseball’s premier prospects suddenly has regular Major League at-bats available to him.

Roberts’ “Anything’s possible” comment should not be interpreted as a prediction that De Paula will make the playoff roster.

It should be interpreted as the Dodgers being willing to let his performance answer the question.

If De Paula looks overmatched, Los Angeles can treat these weeks as valuable developmental experience.

If he hits immediately, the Dodgers may suddenly have another left-handed bat forcing his way into their October calculations.

That is what makes this call-up different.

De Paula is not simply getting a glimpse of the majors. He is getting a chance to make the Dodgers think twice when they build their postseason bench.