James Tibbs III Call-Up Could Force Dodgers Into Surprise 40-Man Roster Decision
The question surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers' September roster may no longer be simply who gets called up.
It may be who has to move out of the way.
James Tibbs III has emerged as one of the most intriguing possibilities as Los Angeles prepares to expand its active roster in September. Manager Dave Roberts has already indicated he expects the Dodgers to add a left-handed hitter, and Tibbs' tremendous Triple-A season makes him an obvious candidate.
There is one complication.
Tibbs is not currently on the Dodgers' 40-man roster.
That means Los Angeles cannot simply promote him from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers would first need to select his contract and create an available spot on the 40-man roster.
And that could force the front office into a much more interesting decision than a normal September call-up.
James Tibbs III Has Made the Decision Difficult
If the Dodgers were only looking for the easiest roster move, they already have left-handed hitters on the 40-man roster.
Ryan Ward is there.
Hyeseong Kim is there.
Alex Freeland is there as a switch-hitter.
All could theoretically be recalled without Los Angeles first needing to add another player to the 40-man. MLB's current roster page confirms Ward, Kim and Freeland are members of the 40-man roster, while Tibbs is not listed.
But Tibbs' performance has made the more complicated option increasingly difficult to dismiss.
The 23-year-old entered September hitting .295 with a .418 on-base percentage, 27 home runs, 96 RBIs and a .965 OPS in 457 at-bats for Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Those are not ordinary prospect numbers.
Tibbs has combined power with an ability to reach base at an elite rate, and he has already shown he can punish mistakes from both sides of the plate matchup-wise as a left-handed hitter.
He was the No. 13 overall selection in the 2024 Draft by San Francisco and eventually reached the Dodgers organization after being traded twice. MLB Pipeline currently ranks him among Los Angeles' top prospects and describes his offensive profile as built around disciplined swing decisions, hard contact and a left-handed stroke capable of producing power.
The Dodgers now have to decide whether that bat is valuable enough for September to justify changing the 40-man roster.
The 40-Man Roster Is Where Things Become Complicated
A September active-roster expansion does not automatically solve the problem.
The Dodgers can add players to the active roster, but anyone promoted still must be eligible through the 40-man roster.
Tibbs currently is not.
So if Los Angeles chooses him, somebody else has to come off — or the Dodgers need to create room through another roster mechanism.
That issue became the centerpiece of a recent Dodgers Territory discussion.
The panel openly explored several possibilities, including whether the Dodgers could make a position-player move involving Ryan Ward or Alex Call, remove a pitcher from the back end of the 40-man roster, or potentially transfer an injured pitcher such as Will Klein to the 60-day injured list.
They also briefly floated Hyeseong Kim's name.
But the context matters.
The speakers explicitly warned viewers that they were “just spitballing” before discussing Kim, and the conversation immediately acknowledged reasons such a move might be unlikely. It was not presented as information coming from the Dodgers or as a report that Kim is in danger of being designated for assignment.
That distinction is essential.
There is a major difference between:
The Dodgers are considering DFA'ing Hyeseong Kim
and
A discussion panel wondered whether Kim could theoretically be part of the roster crunch.
Only the second is supported by the clip.
Hyeseong Kim Is Not a Reported DFA Candidate
Kim's name is naturally going to draw attention because he is currently in Triple-A and occupies a 40-man spot.
But there is no indication from the Dodgers that they are planning to remove him from the organization.
MLB's current roster lists Kim as a minor-league player on Los Angeles' 40-man roster.
The Dodgers Territory conversation itself also pushed back on the idea almost immediately, noting the organization's investment in Kim and the expectations that surrounded him.
So while it is fair to mention that his name came up during roster speculation, presenting him as an actual DFA candidate would go considerably beyond what was said.
Other outlets have independently speculated about Kim because of the roster crunch, but that remains analysis rather than evidence of a front-office plan.
The Dodgers could instead take a much less dramatic route.
Could Ryan Ward or Alex Call Be Vulnerable?
Ward represents one possibility because he is currently on the 40-man but in the Minor Leagues.
The left-handed outfielder already spent time with Los Angeles earlier this season and remains one of the players the Dodgers could simply recall instead of Tibbs.
That creates an interesting choice.
If the Dodgers believe Ward can adequately fill the left-handed bench role Roberts wants, they do not need to manufacture a 40-man spot for Tibbs at all.
But if Los Angeles decides Tibbs represents a meaningful offensive upgrade, Ward's own roster position becomes part of the broader calculation.
Alex Call was another name discussed in the clip.
Call is currently on the Dodgers' 40-man roster and has been part of the Major League outfield mix.
Moving either player would be a more aggressive decision because clearing a 40-man spot through a designation for assignment carries the risk of losing the player.
That is why front offices generally prefer to find an injured-list or other roster solution before exposing useful depth.
And the Dodgers may have one.
Will Klein Could Provide a Cleaner Solution
The most logical alternative discussed may involve right-hander Will Klein.
Klein has been on the 15-day injured list since Aug. 1 because of right elbow discomfort. MLB later reported that he was dealing with loose bodies in the elbow, though he had resumed playing catch by Aug. 21.
Because Klein has already missed nearly a month, transferring him to the 60-day IL could potentially open a 40-man spot without the Dodgers having to designate a healthy player for assignment.
That possibility was raised during the Dodgers Territory conversation as one potential way to handle the Tibbs situation.
It would not be a meaningless move.
A 60-day transfer would significantly delay Klein's eligibility to return, so Los Angeles would have to be comfortable with his recovery timeline before choosing that route.
As of now, the Dodgers have not announced a transfer.
But from a roster-management perspective, it demonstrates why the eventual Tibbs decision may not require a shocking DFA at all.
Pitching Depth Gives Dodgers More Options
The clip also mentioned pitchers such as Paul Gervase, Landon Knack and Ronan Kopp while discussing possible roster routes.
All three are currently on the Dodgers' 40-man roster and in the Minor Leagues.
That does not mean any of them is specifically in danger.
Again, these were possibilities discussed while trying to solve the roster puzzle, not reported decisions from Andrew Friedman's front office.
Los Angeles values pitching depth heavily, particularly given the number of injuries the organization has experienced.
Knack has Major League starting experience.
Gervase has already been recalled multiple times this season.
Kopp remains a younger developmental arm.
Removing any one of them could create another problem later.
The Dodgers therefore have to decide whether the short-term benefit of adding Tibbs outweighs the value of keeping every current 40-man player.
Will Smith Makes the Roster Math Even More Interesting
There is another moving piece.
Will Smith is expected to return Tuesday after spending nearly three months on the injured list with neck inflammation.
Smith is currently on the 60-day IL, which means activating him requires returning him to the 40-man roster as well as the active roster. Roberts has said Smith is expected back for the Cardinals series.
The catching portion of the active-roster decision is relatively straightforward because Los Angeles does not need three healthy catchers on the Major League roster.
The 40-man math is another matter.
Blake Treinen is also on the 60-day IL and has been working through a rehab assignment. His eventual activation will create another future 40-man consideration.
So the Dodgers aren't dealing with only one transaction.
They are trying to coordinate multiple returning veterans, September expansion and potentially a prospect promotion at the same time.
Why Tibbs Might Be Worth the Trouble
This is where performance matters.
The Dodgers did not have a good offensive August.
Roberts has already indicated he wants another left-handed hitter, and there has been discussion about using that player to create more favorable matchups, particularly with Teoscar Hernández struggling against right-handed pitching.
Ward and Kim offer useful qualities.
Kim provides speed and defensive versatility.
Ward gives Los Angeles a familiar left-handed outfield option.
But Tibbs may offer something different:
impact.
Twenty-seven home runs.
A .965 OPS.
A .418 on-base percentage.
Those numbers do not guarantee that a prospect will immediately hit Major League pitching.
They do provide a compelling reason to find out.
And with the postseason approaching, the Dodgers are entering the portion of the season where upside may matter more than simply preserving the status quo.
Dodgers Have Not Made the Tibbs Move Yet
That caveat needs to remain at the center of the story.
As of late Monday, the Dodgers have not officially announced that James Tibbs III is being promoted.
Roberts has indicated that Los Angeles expects to add a left-handed bat.
Tibbs appears to be one of the most logical candidates.
His Triple-A production strengthens the case.
His absence from the 40-man roster complicates it.
But until Los Angeles announces a transaction, everything beyond those facts remains roster analysis and informed speculation.
That includes Kim.
That includes Ward.
That includes Call.
That includes Klein.
The Dodgers Territory segment was valuable because it illustrated how complicated the decision could become — not because it revealed that Los Angeles had chosen a player to remove.
The Call-Up May Be Only Half the Story
If the Dodgers simply recall Ward, Kim or Freeland on Tuesday, the roster mystery becomes relatively simple.
If they choose Tibbs, it becomes considerably more interesting.
Los Angeles would be making a statement that the prospect's bat is valuable enough right now to justify changing the composition of one of baseball's deepest 40-man rosters.
And then everyone will immediately look toward the corresponding move.
Will an injured pitcher go to the 60-day IL?
Will the Dodgers risk losing a depth player through a DFA?
Could a pitcher be removed?
Or does the front office have another solution entirely?
For now, the answer is unknown.
But if James Tibbs III walks into the Dodgers clubhouse Tuesday, the promotion itself may only be half of the news.
The other half will be what Los Angeles had to do to make room for him.