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Dodgers Notes: LA Options Infielder, Dave Roberts’ Message to Josue De Paula, Blake Snell’s Return

Catch up on all the latest Dodgers news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) is tagged out at home by San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano (12) during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) is tagged out at home by San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano (12) during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants, 2-0, on Friday night and improved to 98-62 on the year.

Two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal unleashed another masterpiece with seven scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, no walks and just three hits allowed. Offensively, Will Smith had a three-hit evening while two second inning solo home runs were collected by Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages (his first home run since being activated off the injured list).

Ahead of Friday's game, the Dodgers demoted an infielder to make room on the roster to activate catcher Dalton Rushing. Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the kind of role fans can expect from Rushing down the stretch.

“At the most it would be three pinch-hit at-bats, so just conduct at-bats and see what you got,” Roberts said. “Just the circumstances of his situation, it’s just tough to just be hurt, come back, then be hurt again, and then take three pinch-hit at-bats to potentially then say, ‘Hey, you’re on the roster.’"

Additionally, Roberts had a message for rookie Josue De Paula after he was optioned to Triple-A following a productive first 11 games at the major league level. The reasoning, he revealed, was that De Paula could act as a spark plug while superstar Shohei Ohtani was on the injured list — and during his time on the shelf, it's exactly what the 21-year-old provided.

“This was the original thought, that once Shohei gets back, we’re going to send him out,” Roberts said. “We had a runway to give him, which we gave him and he performed more than admirably. This also, as far as the timing, just gives us an opportunity to potentially have him back for the postseason. He’s a part of the conversation, and he’s earned that, and that’s what I told him last night.”

Finally, there is an update on southpaw Blake Snell after he lasted just one inning due to groin discomfort during his most recent start. Luckily for Dodgers fans, the team announced that Snell will make his next scheduled start on Saturday during the penultimate regular season game.

Here’s all the latest Dodgers news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Dodgers Demote Infielder, Officially Activate Dalton Rushing Before Giants Series

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals Message He Gave Josue De Paula After Being Optioned

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Hints at Fringe Pitcher Making Postseason Roster

Dodgers Announce Starting Lineup for Friday's Series Opener vs Giants

Dodgers Announce Starting Pitchers for Final Series of Season vs Giants

Dodgers Tweets of the Day

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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