Dodgers RHP prospect a step away from LA

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At the conclusion of last season, righty reliever Jose Rodriguez was 23 years old and had yet to pitch above High-A. Now, nearing mid-June, Rodriguez is in Triple-A, a step away from the Majors.

As MLB Pipeline's No. 27 Dodgers prospect, Rodriguez has flown under the radar some. His results in the Minors certainly don't jump off the page. But the Dodgers have clearly seen enough to warrant giving him a closer look against more advanced competition.

Rodriguez has been a late bloomer since signing with the organization as an amateur international free agent out of Mexico in 2019, but his rapid rise could make him a viable option for the Dodgers sooner rather than later.

After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his professional debut until 2021, Rodriguez didn't spend a full season in A-ball until '24, which he split between Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and High-A Great Lakes. He was a non-roster invitee to Major League Spring Training for the first time this season.

Rodriguez began the year at Double-A Tulsa, then moved up to Triple-A Oklahoma City after just eight appearances. He's combined to post an 8.64 ERA in 20 outings -- which doesn't look pretty, even when taking into account the hitter-friendly tendencies of the Pacific Coast League.

One of the clear positives: Rodriguez has 41 strikeouts in 25 innings to go along with only 13 walks. He has a 4.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his professional career, but he does get hit. Part of the reason he's allowed so many runs this year is that hitters are batting .291 against him.

If he's able to work on that issue, perhaps Rodriguez could be a weapon out of the Dodgers' bullpen at some point late in the season.

There are a lot of names ahead of Rodriguez on the depth chart. He isn't on L.A.'s 40-man roster. But the Dodgers have endured enough pitcher injuries in recent years to know that big league opportunities arise in all sorts of ways. They can be created by performance and circumstance alike.

Rodriguez will probably need a combination of both to earn a promotion to the Majors. He needs to show he can reliably put higher-level hitters away while allowing less damage, and he needs an opening in the Dodgers' 'pen, which is chock-full of talent when at full strength. But it has yet to be at full strength this year.

It wasn't long ago that the Dodgers were short-handed when it came to high-leverage right-handed relief options. Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech were activated from the IL over the weekend, restoring some strength on that side of the 'pen.

The Dodgers should also get Blake Treinen back at some point, as well as Brusdar Graterol in the final month of the season. There may be no need to fast-track Rodriguez even further if the Dodgers have at least three of those four in commission by season's end.

Those around the organization have credited Rodriguez's work ethic for allowing him to take the leaps he has in the past year and change. Should the need arise, that mentality should play just as well at the big league level.