Dodgers’ training camp roster includes prospect Josiah Gray but not 2020 draft picks
The Dodgers on Sunday named 51 players to their initial 2020 season player pool, and none are players drafted earlier this month.
Everyone from the team’s 40-man roster was included in the pool, which can be expanded to as large as 60, as well as a combination of prospects and minor league veterans. Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers president of baseball operations, said players could be added in the next week or two, so there’s still a chance first-round pick Bobby Miller (Louisville) and second-round pick Landon Knack (East Tennessee), both right-handed pitchers, could join the group for workouts.
Players will report for the start of training camp Wednesday, with the team’s first formal workout scheduled for Friday. The 11 players not on the 40-man roster will report to the team’s alternate training site at USC, not to Dodger Stadium.
The 60-man player pools were created for this year’s pandemic-shortened season. Opening day rosters can include 25 to 30 players. Rosters then shrink to 28 on the 15th day of the season and to 26 on the 29th day.
Players not on a team’s active roster during the season will be put either on a three-man “taxi squad†that will travel and train with the main club, or be sent to the alternative training to await a potential call-up.
With the minor league season unlikely to take place, those alternative sites could be the teams’ best way to continue developing prospects. Pitcher Josiah Gray, the Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was the highest-rated prospect not on the 40-man roster included in the initial player pool.
Dodgers minor league pitchers Juan Idrogo and Reza Aleaziz were among four players suspended for violating MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
“I think it’s a balance,†Friedman said last week. “As deep as we are, as excited as we are about our 26-man roster, our 40-man roster and the prospects behind it, we don’t have 60 guys who we feel could step in and help us win a major league game this year.
“We want to figure out which of our prospects either need reps or pitchers who could really use an increase in workload, and try to balance that with making sure we’re protected and covered where we need to be.â€
Here are 51 players announced Sunday (* — player reporting to alternate training site):
Right-handed pitchers: Pedro Baez, Walker Buehler, Gerardo Carrillo*, Dylan Floro, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Josiah Gray*, Michael Grove*, Andre Jackson*, Kenley Jansen, Marshall Kasowski*, Joe Kelly, Dustin May, Jimmy Nelson, Dennis Santana, Josh Sborz, Ross Stripling, Blake Treinen, Edwin Uceta*, Mitch White
Left-handed pitchers: Scott Alexander, Caleb Ferguson, Victor Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Kolarek, David Price, Julio Urias, Alex Wood
Catchers: Austin Barnes, Diego Cartaya*, Rocky Gale*, Keibert Ruiz, Will Smith
Infielders: Matt Beaty, Omar Estevez*, Gavin Lux, Max Muncy, Edwin Rios, Corey Seager, Justin Turner
Outfielders: Mookie Betts, Joc Pederson, DJ Peters, AJ Pollock, Luke Raley, Zach Reks*, Cody Thomas*
Infielder/Outfielder: Cody Bellinger, Kiké Hernandez, Zach McKinstry, Chris Taylor
Times staff writer Mike Digiovanna contributed to this story.
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