LOS ANGELES, CA – With the long list of injuries to star players that have nearly decimated the 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers, their depth has really been put to the test forcing manager Dave Roberts to find solutions in the minor leagues.
Guys who thought they would spend the majority of the season playing for Triple-A Oklahoma City have been thwarted to the big club and starting out of necessity. Not only have the Dodgers needed undeveloped call-ups like Sheldon Neuse, Luke Raley, and Mitch White for depth, they’ve needed them to admirably fill in for All-Stars and MVPs like Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, and Clayton Kershaw.
Top pitching prospect Josiah “JoJo” Gray became the recent call-up to give Roberts another emergency option. Gray has been in the Dodgers organization for the past three seasons after being acquired in the winter of 2018 in a massive trade with the Cincinnati Reds. In that time, he’s impressed with a late-life four-seam fastball that touches 97 MPH, a tight slider that can hit the mid-80’s, and a solid curveball that can miss bats.
With the elbow injury to Kershaw, Trevor Bauer being on MLB Administrative Leave during an ongoing investigation, and Dustin May out for the season, Gray (who dealt with injuries earlier this season) is needed to stabilize a rotation that has recently been hit hard with injuries and off-the-field issues.
He came out of the bullpen against the San Francisco Giants last week and surrendered four earned runs in four innings including three home runs but also struck out seven.
Gray then made his first career start this past weekend against the Colorado Rockies and pitched four innings allowing just two earned runs while striking out six and walking four in a no-decision. While these results may not jump off the page, this is a young man with tremendous talent and potential.
Manager Dave Roberts was impressed, especially when Gray got out of bases-loaded jam.
“It’s a great learning, on-the-job type of thing, and he stepped up and made pitches when he needed to,” Roberts said after Sunday’s win over Colorado. “He’s only going to get better. There’s no better way to learn than with experience.”
Gray is obviously trying to get a feel for the big league game, the teams, and the players and navigate through adversity. Just like with his fellow minor league colleagues, he’s being thrown into the fire and expected to perform well in high leverage moments as the Dodgers try to keep pace with the first-place San Francisco and secure another division title.
Even with the trade deadline rapidly approaching and the Dodgers sure to make an acquisition or two, this is still a golden opportunity for Gray to show he can perform on the big stage in any capacity.
(Courtesy of Dodger Blue)
“I think I’ve shown flashes of having good stuff out there, obviously you got to improve every day,” Gray said after the win over Colorado. “In whatever role I’m in, I’m just going to go out there and improve, continue to prepare, continue to feel good, continue to just get my mind and my pitches where I need to get them in preparation for each start.”
Whether it’s a spot start, mop-up duties, or long relief, this Le Moyne College product must be prepared for any role since the team is currently in an “all-hands-on-deck” mode. Given his talent, confidence, and workman-like demeanor, the Dodgers are fortunate to have somebody of Gray’s caliber in the mix, who clearly understands the pressure and expectations of wearing Dodger blue.
