Dodgers Flamethrowing Prospect Could Join Bullpen Before End of Season, Says Insider

Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

MLB pipeline analyst Jim Callis believes Los Angeles Dodgers No. 29 prospect right-handed pitcher Patrick Copen could join the Dodgers bullpen by the end of the 2025 season.

"First, credit to him for what he's had to overcome: last year during his first full season, Cooper Pratt hit a line drive that struck Copen in the face, and he lost vision in his right eye," said Callis. "But it's full-speed ahead. He's not letting this hold him back and it hasn't held him back. ... He needs to harness his stuff a little better. Control is probably his biggest issue. But man, he's 95-97, touching 99 with all kinds of good fastball metrics.

"He's got as mid-80s slider that can be a plus pitch. He's got a low-90s cutter that can be a plus pitch. His cutter can touch 95, which is just absurd. He might be a reliever in the long run, but if he continues to dominate like he has, it would not shock me if we saw Patrick Copen pitch in the Dodgers bullpen by the end of the season."

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Copen is currently a starting pitcher with Double-A Tulsa, and MLB.com predicts him to reach the majors in 2027. However, with Copen's season so far, that could change.

The 23-year-old moved from High-A Great Lakes to Double-A Tulsa June 3 and has impressed at the level so far, posting a 2.61 ERA through two starts with the Drillers.

Before his call up, the right-hander had 10 starts under his belt this season, in which he had a 2.25 ERA and allowed just one home run through 48 innings pitched. He struck out batters at an incredible rate in High-A, posting a 14.44 strikeouts per nine innings with the Loons. Despite his departure from High-A 10 days ago, he still leads the team in strikeouts by a margin of 23.

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The Dodgers pitching staff as a whole is incredibly thin at the moment, with 14 first teamers sitting on the injured list for the 2024 World Series champions. If Copen continues to churn out results as he has all season so far, a major league call up to rest some arms as the Dodgers head into a crowded summer schedule is not out of the question.

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