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Dodgers: 3 prospects who could be called up Sept. 1

By Adam Weinrib |
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 11: Andre Jackson #38 of the National League team throws against the American League team during the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 11: Andre Jackson #38 of the National League team throws against the American League team during the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Mitch White #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Mitch White #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the most complete rosters in Major League Baseball — but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to take full advantage of having two extra spots to play with next week.

Come on. Haven’t you seen how much ping-ponging they’ve done with available bodies in both the outfield and the bullpen?

At this point, LA has used their 40-man roster to the fullest, trying out any and all depth pieces available throughout the year. They’ve even trotted out some depth pieces who were floating in the ether, confidently grabbing free agents from Yoshi Tsutsugo to Shane Greene to, yes, Albert Pujols throughout the 2021 season.

Strange? Sure. Savvy? Definitely. If even one lottery ticket cashes in a league with no salary cap, then why bother being discerning?

Pujols has been worth it. Most of the bullpen attempts have been fruitless.

Over the season’s final month, the Dodgers’ braintrust will likely use their final two roster spots to give trusted bullpen personnel and a gassed rotation a blow or two. This much should already be clear, based on how faithfully they’ve used the opener in recent weeks (while persevering).

Pending the addition of somebody who surprisingly ends up on waivers — Gregory Polanco?! — these three Dodgers are most likely to return to the ranks over the next week.

3. Mitch White

You simply can’t keep the record-setting Mitch White down!

While we once advocated for his removal from the roster entirely (sorry about that), White is clearly a viable innings-eater, finally embodying a capable starter after letting this team down in save situations in early May.

He’s more well-suited to dominate efficiently over seven innings instead of shutting things down in extras with a free runner on second. Makes sense, actually.

White will be the first man back before Sept. 1 if a need arises, but LA surely hopes they can get a healthy week out of their middle-innings guys so his arrival can be a supplement, not a necessity. Since his early-season scuffles, he’s turned things around entirely, striking out 35 men in 35.1 innings with a sterling 1.19 WHIP, all highlighted by his 7.1 innings of two-hit baseball when the team needed it most against the Pirates last week.

Sure, the Dodgers pieced together a sweep, but they didn’t do it in nearly the way you would’ve anticipated. The same man started two games in a three-game set! That’s not normal.

The ‘pen and rotation have obviously been strained this year, and White’s been a savior after looking like an early castoff. He’ll be back, but ideally not until the calendar turns.

Zach McKinstry #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Zach McKinstry #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /

2. Zach McKinstry

The Dodgers have treated Zach McKinstry like a yo-yo in recent weeks, and pending an injury, you can expect him to spend another several days touring Oklahoma City.

Initially thought to be a major part of the infield/outfield rotation, McKinstry’s oblique failed him early in the season just as Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock reemerged as not only solid pieces but stars. Meanwhile, the year of McKinstry and Gavin Lux has turned into … well, not that, even as Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger went down. So many things conspired in their favor, and yet … nothing lined up.

Though McKinstry hasn’t starred, hitting seven home runs with a .672 OPS in 157 at-bats, he’s outplayed the other 40-man options Los Angeles tried to utilize as bench pieces this season. DJ Peters has wound up in Texas, starting in center for the struggling Rangers. Luke Raley and Zach Reks have been largely forgotten. McKinstry is the most likely Triple-A Dodger to provide relief in the coming weeks if more injury issues crop up.

Rest assured, his time in the minor-league ranks is only temporary, even though his star hasn’t shined quite as brightly as expected this season.

Andre Jackson #94 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Andre Jackson #94 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

1. Andre Jackson

Not only could Andre Jackson return to the Dodgers next week, but … he could weasel his way onto the playoff roster? Right?

Scrubs don’t get shouted out by Justin Turner, after all.

After seemingly every other available arm on the team’s 40-man was utilized to soak up innings during this bizarre first half, Jackson finally got his shot after shaking off an injury and building back up at the Triple-A level.

The patience paid off with four innings of five-strikeout ball during that strange Pirates series, giving the righty with the devastating change something to hang his hat on before heading back to the high minors.

Overall this season, the 25-year-old Futures Game participant looks like a weapon for the present and future, building himself up with 77 innings (and a 1.01 WHIP) across three levels of the minors after a dull year marked by inactivity in 2020. Jackson is easily the highest-ceiling addition the Dodgers can make internally down the stretch, and if the team opts for upside, he’ll get a quick call — certainly ahead of McKinstry, who won’t have much of a role beyond filling the occasional gap.

The middle innings of LA’s bullpen are far from solidified heading into the postseason, and the effervescent Jackson can give this team a spark. Unfortunately, with such little breathing room in the postseason race, the Dodgers haven’t been able to give him an extended tryout with a safety net.

Maybe things open up a bit in the season’s final month. LA might get more than they bargained for once Jackson rises.

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