MLB Rumors: Andy Pages Called Up for Dodgers Debut; LA's No. 3 Prospect
April 16, 2024
Amid the early-season struggles for Chris Taylor and James Outman, the Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up Andy Pages from Triple-A.
Baseball reporter Francys Romero reported that Pages is getting called up ahead of Tuesday's game against the Washington Nationals.
MLB.com has Pages ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Dodgers' system and No. 94 overall prospect.
Pitching has been the big problem in Los Angeles to start the season. James Paxton is the only started with an ERA under 3.70, but he has four more talks (14) than strikeouts (10) in 16 innings.
Tyler Glasnow's numbers took a hit on Monday night when he allowed eight hits and six earned runs in five innings to the Washington Nationals, but he was fantastic in his first four starts that the Dodgers don't have to worry about him as long as he's healthy.
On the surface, Pages call up is a bit unusual because offense hasn't been an issue for the Dodgers thus far. They rank first in MLB in homers (25), second in runs scored (100) and fourth in OPS (.769).
But a dive into the Dodgers' outfield production through their first 19 games does paint a dark picture. Their outfielders have the fifth-worst slugging percentage (.322), third-worst WRC+ (65), second-worst on-base percentage (.298) and are tied with the Chicago White Sox for the second-fewest wins above replacement (-0.4), per FanGraphs.
Jason Heyward has been on the injured list since April 3 due to back tightness. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday he could begin a rehab assignment soon.
Chris Taylor is off to an abysmal start with a .030/.154/.030 slash line and one hit in 33 at-bats. James Outman's .185/.290/.315 looks MVP-caliber compared to what Taylor is hitting, but is really bad by normal standards.
Pages is best suited to play a corner spot in the outfield, though he does have experience in center field in the minors. The 23-year-old signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent in 2017 and owns a .262/.381/.527 slash line in 416 minor-league games.
In 15 appearances at Triple-A to start this season, Pages is hitting .371/.452/.694 with five homers and 15 RBI.
