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Faced with a season-long need for stability to their pitching staff, the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to turn back the clock with the minor-league signing of Andrew Heaney earlier this month. After struggling with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, the return to the Dodgers' organization likely involved some hope from Heaney that the team could unlock his swing-and-miss profile as they did once before.
Upon his return to the Dodgers' organization, Heaney was assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Heaney made his first start on Wednesday, and for Dodgers fans, he offered a reminder of the potential he could bring to the team's pitching staff before the end of the season.
In his start for Oklahoma City, Heaney retired 9 of the 10 batters he faced while recording 8 strikeouts. Even more encouraging was the fact that of the 46 total pitches Heaney tossed, 33 were strikes, and he generated 10 whiffs.
Dodgers fans got their wish in Andrew Heaney’s stunning Triple-A start
An inability to miss bats is what was at the center of Heaney's struggles with the Pirates. Heaney's strikeout rate was alarmingly low this season, striking out only 16 percent of the hitters he faced in a tick over 120 innings pitched. When Heaney isn't missing bats, he simply is incapable of being used at the Major League level, as made clear by his ERA of 5.39.
The last time Heaney was with the Dodgers, he was electric, posting an ERA of 3.10 in 2022 while striking out over 35% of the hitters he faced. Counting on Heaney, as New York Yankees fans and Texas Rangers fans found out, can lead to disappointment, but if there is a team that can get the most out of him, it would be the Dodgers.
Heaney is eligible for the Dodgers' postseason roster, so if he continues to find success with Oklahoma City, it's only a matter of time before he returns to the Dodgers' active roster. As the Dodgers look for ways to hold off the San Diego Padres atop the National League West, Heaney could be an unexpected difference maker.