Dodgers' slugging prospect still waiting for shot during Freddie Freeman's emergency leave

Stuck in Triple-A since 2022, Hunter Feduccia might finally get to make his MLB debut with the Dodgers. Maybe.

Emma Lingan

Team Korea v Los Angeles Dodgers / Masterpress/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled catching prospect Hunter Feduccia to the big leagues Saturday to take the place of former MVP Freddie Freeman, who was placed on the family emergency list.

Feduccia was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft back in November, but the 27-year-old still has yet to play in an MLB game.

Feduccia, the Dodgers’ 12th-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, has worked his way up through the club’s minor-league system but has been stuck in Triple-A Oklahoma City since 2022. He's slashing .295/.420/.451 with a 16.8% walk rate against an 18.6% strikeout rate in 64 games in Triple-A this year.

Feduccia does not appear in MLB.com's ranking of the Dodgers' top 30 prospects, but FanGraphs ranked him as Los Angeles' No. 25 prospect entering this season. FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen described Feduccia as a "fairly well-rounded defensive catcher with above-average bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline," adding that he had a "standard backup catcher's profile" and had a chance to supplant Austin Barnes as the Dodgers' backup in 2024 due to his offensive upside.

Feduccia awaits his MLB debut with Dodgers as Biggio, Hernández man first base in Freeman's absence

With Barnes and starting catcher Will Smith ahead of him on the depth chart, Feduccia does not figure to see significant playing time while he’s in the majors. He could be used primarily as a pinch-hitter, but the Dodgers may also view the opportunity as an audition of sorts to see how Feduccia performs at the major-league level with Barnes currently in the final guaranteed year of his contract.

While Freeman remains away from the Dodgers for an undetermined amount of time, Cavan Biggio has been manning first base, though manager Dave Roberts noted that Kiké Hernández could see time at first as well.

The 29-year-old Biggio, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays last month after he was designated for assignment, has yet to hit his stride as a bench player with Los Angeles. In 59 plate appearances since joining the Dodgers, Biggio has slashed an abysmal .180/.281/.240 with a 30.5% strikeout rate while splitting time between first base, third base, and right field.

More Dodgers content from Dodgers Way

Emma Lingan

Emma Lingan is an MLB Staff Writer for FanSided primarily covering the Pittsburgh Pirates. She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University, and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic). A native of Washington, D.C. and current resident of Nashville, Tenn., she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News. When she's not watching hockey, baseball or football, she enjoys podcasting, reading, going to the gym, consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog, Minkah. You can follow her @Emma_lingan on Twitter and Instagram.