Dodgers promote minor-league pitcher who hit 104 mph this season

LOS ANGELES — A big part of the story of the 2002 Angels’ run to the franchise’s only World Series championship was the arrival of Francisco Rodriguez.

Then just 20 years old, the hard-throwing right-hander was a September callup, struck out 13 in his first 5⅔ major-league innings, made the Angels’ postseason roster on the strength of that and was a crucial piece of their bullpen on the way to the title.

The Dodgers are taking their shot at finding similar lightning in a bottle.

Right-hander Edgardo Henriquez was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday and will pitch out of the bullpen this week. The hard-throwing Venezuelan (like Rodriguez) has a 100-mph fastball that has been clocked as high as 104 mph during his rise from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga to OKC this season.

“We’ve talked about – is it Frankie Rodriguez? Is it Camilo Doval (with the San Francisco Giants) in ’21 more recently?” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said earlier this season of the ‘comps’ for Henriquez. “These guys who just throw this hard. Sometimes if they’re just around the zone – it’s just hard to hit no matter where you are. You don’t see 102 with a 94 mph slider. Hitting is hard enough when you’re at this level so it’s just, let’s see what it looks like. I feel really good about our bullpen and the guys that are there. It’s just adding another option if we need it.”

Right-hander Ben Casparius was optioned to the minors and Gavin Stone (shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot for Henriquez.

“That’s certainly high regard when you’re talking about Frankie Rodriguez and what he did for the Angels,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Certainly unique in the sense of his impact as a rookie for that team making a playoff push. Certainly, I know you’re not comparing the pitchers, but it’s two different skill sets. So we’ll see. It’s a variance play. Get him in here. Get him in the big leagues. And see how he looks, how he responds and go from there.

“But he’s certainly a weapon.”

The 22-year-old Henriquez was at Dodger Stadium on Sunday and Roberts talked with him on the field before the game, even taking him onto the mound for a moment.

“I knew he was gonna be active at some point. I just wanted to diffuse a little bit of being on the mound and get that visual of him being out there on the mound before the first time the (bullpen) gates open up in left field,” Roberts said. “Just to visualize him and the catcher being on the attack, hopefully we did a little exercise and hopefully it pays off when he does get into a big-league ball game.”

Henriquez made his debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 but missed the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 shutdown and all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. This season, he started at Rancho Cucamonga and progressed through Class-A Great Lakes, Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A, striking out 88 in 53 combined innings. At OKC, he struck out 18 in 12⅔ innings but also gave up 14 hits and walked 10.

“Always loved the arm, the body,” Gomes said. “As he was coming off TJ, that sidetracked his development path. We figured this is his protection year. He’s throwing the ball really well. Let’s put him in the ’pen and see what it looks like. Let’s challenge him. At every turn he has done really well at each level he has been at with the mindset of this is an arm talent that is quite rare.”

Henriquez made his major-league debut by pitching a scoreless seventh inning against the Padres on Tuesday night. He struck out two of the four batters he faced and gave up a single. Henriquez’s nine four-seam fastballs averaged 99.1 mph and topped out at 101 mph to strike out Fernando Tatis Jr. and end the inning.

HOLDING PATTERN

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw more than 80 pitches in a bullpen session last week in Miami and then threw a shorter bullpen session this past weekend at Dodger Stadium. But Roberts said on Tuesday that Kershaw was “in a holding pattern – I don’t think there’s been improvement” and Kershaw won’t be throwing to hitters in a simulated game this week.

Kershaw, 36, declined to comment other than to say “I’ll pitch when I can pitch.”

It is almost certain now that the three-time Cy Young Award winner won’t be pitching during the Dodgers’ first playoff series. Roberts acknowledged that it was “pretty telling” Kershaw wouldn’t be facing hitters this week.

“It’s the toe. It’s just the body,” Roberts said. “There’s something that’s holding him up from progressing to face hitters. So for me, for the training staff, I was told that we’re kind of status quo on not moving forward.”

Kershaw has not pitched since leaving his Aug. 30 start after one inning with pain in his left big toe.

Kershaw, who didn’t pitch until July 25 after having offseason shoulder surgery, went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts before getting hurt.

PITCHING HEALTH

Right-hander Tony Gonsolin completed his minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment with OKC on Saturday and went to the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona. Roberts said Gonsolin was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday and then face hitters in a live batting practice session on Friday.

That eliminates the possibility of Gonsolin pitching for the Dodgers before the end of the regular season. Gonsolin is recovering from Tommy John surgery last September.

Meanwhile, left-hander Anthony Banda faced hitters in a simulated game on Monday and could be activated from the IL in the next few days. Banda broke a bone in his hand on Sept. 9.

ALSO

Fernando Valenzuela has left the Dodgers’ Spanish-language broadcast team indefinitely. The Dodgers declined to give a reason for Valenzuela’s absence. Valenzuela is not likely to return for the playoff broadcasts.

UP NEXT

Padres (RHP Dylan Cease, 14-11, 3.42 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Jack Flaherty, 13-7, 3.10 ERA), Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM