Dodgers Predicted to Add ‘Powerful’ 103 MPH Pitcher for Playoff Run

It’s no secret that the Dodgers, even with their wealth of talent and the significant money the team spent in the offseason, are wobbling toward the finish line here in 2024, fending off the surging Padres, who have knocked a 9.0-game deficit in the standings down to just 3.0 games. It’s also no secret that the main culprit for the Dodgers woes this year has been a frustrating string of pitching injuries that has prevented them from keeping a full staff together at any point this season.

Tyler Glasnow is back on the injured list, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s return remains unclear. The Dodgers figured to get a boost from rookie River Ryan, but he has gone down with an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery.

The Dodgers have had a solid bullpen all season, with a 3.58 ERA among relievers (fifth in MLB) and a WHIP of 1.18 (second), but if the rotation continues to be as uncertain as it has been all season, it would make sense to give manager Dave Roberts as many top bullpen arms as possible.

That could mean a fast-track promotion of fire-balling 22-year-old Edgardo Henriquez, who has zipped up from Single-A to Triple-A Oklahoma City this season and has topped 103 mph with his fastball.

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Edgardo Henriquez on a Fast Track to MLB

That’s according to a CBS Sports article titled, “Astros’ Zach Dezenzo and four other under-the-radar prospects who could impact MLB playoff races.” Henriquez and the Dodgers crop up at No. 3. Analyst R.J Anderson writes:

“Henriquez, 22, began his season in A-ball. He’s since made his way to Triple-A after striking out 42.4% of the batters he faced over his first 40 innings. We think he’s all but certain to make his big-league debut this fall. Henriquez can really pop a mitt, recently throwing a fastball that cleared 103 mph, and he has a plus slider to boot.”

Anderson points out that control issues have been a problem for Henriquez, and he has not been mowing down competition at OKC. He has struck out six batters in 4.1 innings there, but has also allowed seven hits and two runs.

For the season, he has struck out 76 batters in 44.1 innings pitched, with a 2.80 ERA. If he gets on track in the minors, he could be a wildcard weapon for the Dodgers.

“Don’t be surprised if he ends up playing a key role in their playoff bullpen,” Anderson wrote.

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Dodgers Turned Catcher Into Ace Reliever

That would be quite a turnaround for Henriquez in his time with the Dodgers. When the team signed him out of Venezuela in 2018, they had big ideas for him—as a catcher. But he was converted into a pitcher and struggled in his first three seasons, with ERAs of 4.80, 4.93 and 4.54 in the low-level minors.

But he missed 2023 with Tommy John surgery and came back in 2024 a new pitcher, blowing away batters with his fastball.

As Baseball America noted of Henriquez:

“Henriquez mixes four pitches with three different breaking ball shapes in his low-90s cutter, upper-80s slider and a mid-to-high-80s curveball. He owns a powerful arsenal, but the selling point is his double-plus fastball with above-average ride and armside run.

“That gives Henriquez a combination of elite power and good fastball movement as he eyes his MLB debut.”

The Dodgers, surely, are eyeing that as well.

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