Dodgers News: Triple-A team wins PCL, Edgardo Henriquez, Dalton Rushing updates

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system added some hardware Thursday night, as Triple-A Oklahoma City defeated the Las Vegas Aviators, 5-2, to win the Pacific Coast League championship.

The Comets rallied after dropping Game 1 of the best-of-three series, winning the final two games in Las Vegas to secure their second PCL title in four seasons. Oklahoma City allowed just two runs in each of the final two games after surrendering 13 in the opener.

Several notable Dodgers prospects contributed to the clincher. No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula recorded the first two Triple-A hits of his career, including an RBI double, while No. 2 prospect Mike Sirota drove in a run and reached base four times. Zach Ehrhard added two doubles and an RBI.

Oklahoma City will now face the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, in Saturday’s Triple-A National Championship Game in Las Vegas.

Dodgers get encouraging Edgardo Henriquez update ahead of NLDS

The Dodgers received some encouraging injury news regarding one of their bullpen arms as the postseason approaches.

Right-hander Edgardo Henriquez said he threw a bullpen session Thursday, marking his first time back on the mound since landing on the injured list with a back issue. Henriquez had been dealing with discomfort for roughly a month before the Dodgers ultimately shut him down.

More importantly, Henriquez said his back is now in a much better place and believes he has a realistic chance to be ready when the NLDS begins.

That would be a welcome development for a Dodgers bullpen that will need as many viable options as possible in October. Henriquez's high-octane arsenal gives Los Angeles another potential power arm for the middle or later innings, provided he can build back up quickly enough.

There are still hurdles to clear before Henriquez can be considered a lock for the postseason roster, but simply getting back on a mound represents meaningful progress. With the NLDS approaching, the timing of that progress couldn't be much better for Los Angeles.

Dodgers reinstate Dalton Rushing, but his role will look much different

The Dodgers reinstated catcher Dalton Rushing from the injured list Friday, but his return comes with a significant limitation.

Rushing is still dealing with elbow soreness stemming from a partial UCL tear and will not catch again this season. Instead, the Dodgers are bringing the 25-year-old back primarily as a left-handed bat off the bench as they finish the regular season and prepare for October.

When healthy, Rushing has been productive at the plate. He is batting .249/.332/.466 with 12 home runs, 36 RBI and 37 runs scored across 250 plate appearances, giving Los Angeles another potentially useful offensive option against right-handed pitching.

His inability to catch, however, could complicate his path to a meaningful postseason role. Rushing's value normally comes from the flexibility he provides behind the plate in addition to his power, and removing that part of his game makes roster decisions more difficult.

The Dodgers optioned Alex Freeland to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

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