When the Dodgers promoted three prospects to Triple-A earlier this week, the headlining name was No. 1 prospect Dalton Rushing, and his call-up was made even more interesting by the fact that he'll be moving from behind the plate to the outfield, in what might be an effort to get him to the majors with the Dodgers after all.
However, Edgardo Henriquez, LA's No. 17 prospect, is also a name that Dodgers fans should look out for. Though it'll require a 40-man roster move (60-Day IL maneuver or DFA), he could also be expedited to the majors, depending on how he fares during his first few innings in Triple-A, especially given the most recent hits the Dodgers bullpen has sustained.
Henriquez is a late-inning fireballer who was already promoted twice this season, jumping all the way up from Single-A to Triple-A with just 40 1/3 innings pitched. He's also made a handful of starts in his minor league career, but it seems like the organization likes him more in a relief capacity.
Brusdar Graterol just went onto the IL again with a hamstring strain, Blake Treinen was recently sidelined, and Ryan Brasier is still out until further notice. Given how quickly the Dodgers have accelerated Henriquez, the majors could be his next stop this season (subscription required).
Dodgers' No. 17 prospect Edgardo Henriquez could be on track for his MLB debut this season
Henriquez has a fastball that sits in the upper-90s, but he's reached 100+ MPH multiple times throughout the season. In his last Double-A appearance, he reached 103 multiple times, then went to a 90 MPH slider to finish off the opposing batter. His K% throughout the season has been pretty ridiculous at every level: 50% in Single-A, 48.1% in High-A, and 33.8% in Double-A.
As previously mentioned, the Dodgers' bullpen isn't in as desperate a place as it was in May and June, but it's still not in perfect shape. Graterol's injury was initially reported to be a Grade 3 strain but has since been downgraded to Grade 1, and Michael Grove returned in Graterol's stead. However, given how the Dodgers' bullpen has been faring this season, having a couple good options on deck in Triple-A isn't a bad idea. Graterol could be shuffled to the 60-Day IL to open up space, and or someone like Michael Petersen could become a roster casualty.
Adding Henriquez to the 40-man roster right at the end of the season would also save the Dodgers the trouble of having to choose whether or not to save him from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. He was eligible last offseason, but teams stayed away, uncertain how well he'd recover from injury (and skeptical of his ability to remain on an MLB roster for the duration of the season). Given how quickly they're orchestrating his ascent, it'd be a shame if they let him go to another team basically for free. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this name.