Heading into the final month of the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have run into a rare struggle in the outfield. Andy Pages is out with a fractured left hand, while Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker continue to struggle at the plate.
Los Angeles could look to the minor leagues, taking a swing at one of their prospects. Potentially top prospect Josue De Paula or James Tibbs III.
If it came down to deciding between the two, it would more than likely be Tibbs III, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reports.
“As for why Tibbs over De Paula: He’s closer to being big-league ready,” Woo wrote. “Entering Thursday, Tibbs had played 121 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, parking 27 homers with a .974 OPS. De Paula is lighting up the Double-A circuit, hitting .311/.406/.560 with 26 home runs in 113 games with Tulsa. Some organizations have skipped the Triple-A level entirely when promoting their top prospects. Not Friedman and the Dodgers.”
Looking Deeper Into Why the Dodgers Would Go With Tibbs III Over De Paula
Across MLB, other franchises haven’t been afraid to promote prospects from Double-A to the big leagues. We saw this recently when the Seattle Mariners promoted left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson straight from Double-A to make his big league debut on Aug. 22.
Throughout time, Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has not been one to do so. This is why a James Tibbs III call-up is more likely than Josue De Paula.
De Paula, 21, has spent all of his time in 2026 in Double-A Tulsa, hitting .308/.403/.555 with 26 home runs, 98 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 114 games. Impressive, but De Paula hasn’t made the jump to Triple-A in his short career.
MLB’s No. 6 prospect (@Dodgers) is slugging .714 with 22 RBIs in August:
Meanwhile, Tibbs III has spent all of his time in Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. The 23-year-old is hitting .295/.416/.550 with 27 home runs, 95 RBI, and seven stolen bases.
MLB’s No. 3 first-base prospect (@Dodgers) is slashing .304/.421/.566 with 27 homers this year for the Triple-A @OKC_comets:
Both players have star talent, but Tibbs III has more experience. That is what matters most to Andrew Friedman in his decisions.
Teoscar Hernandez Continues to Struggle in 2026
The Dodgers are hoping that Teoscar Hernandez can catch his stride in the final month of the regular season. A mid-season Grade 1 hamstring strain has resulted in time missed for the two-time All-Star.
On the season, Hernandez is hitting .245/.307/.388 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and two stolen bases. Numbers that are manageable, but aren’t as successful as his first year in Los Angeles in 2024.
The pressure is on the 33-year-old. Andy Pages is out for the majority of the rest of the regular season, and right field is still uncertain with Kyle Tucker’s struggling first year in Dodger blue.
If Hernandez and the rest of the outfield come alive, a call-up won’t be necessary. It will be something to monitor ahead of October.
Dodgers Suggested to Call Up Triple-A Standout Ahead of Top Prospect: Report