The Dodgers have placed outfielder/infielder Zach McKinstry on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. The team recalled outfielder DJ Peters to take McKinstry’s roster spot.
McKinstry’s injury will temporarily derail what has been an impressive start for the 25-year-old rookie, who has taken on a fairly regular role for the reigning World Series champions. The former 33rd-round pick has appeared in 17 of the Dodgers’ 19 games, primarily lining up in right field, and slashed .296/.328/.556 (140 wRC+) with three home runs in 58 plate appearances. McKinstry is now the third notable member of the Dodgers’ offense on the IL, joining Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux, while back stiffness has shelved Chris Taylor over the past couple days.
Peters, a 2016 fourth-rounder, may be able to help the Dodgers’ shorthanded lineup if he gets an opportunity. In 2019, the most recent minor league season, Peters combined for a .249/.358/.453 line with 23 homers in 542 trips to the plate between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. The 25-year-old now ranks as the Dodgers’ 15th-best prospect at Baseball America – which notes that he combines “jaw-dropping power” and a keen eye at the plate with decent speed and the ability to play all three outfield positions.
Stop Giving Billionaires Money
Nice to see Peters get the call.
6’6 and plays center?
Like a righty Bellinger.
Mckinstry can take his time and still take home another ROY for the dodgers.
oldmansteve
A good comp for Peters would be Jayson Werth.
I like McKinstry as a player, but he isn’t going to sustain that level of success. He doesn’t have the power to be a .500 slug player.
Stop Giving Billionaires Money
I read the werth/Peters comp every prospect blog.
I’m not that optimistic as a fan but would take that career from Peters everyday.
Mckinstry I think could win ROY but I don’t expect him to keep anything close to his early pace.
We’ll see.
oldmansteve
Keep in mind when guys comp players, they aren’t comping career paths, just player types. I doubt Peters will be as good as Werth was either, but that is the type of player he will be. Now, how good of player, is up to him.
BeforeMcCourt
Not saying he’s a 500 slugging guy, but McKinstry has more power than his body frame dictates he should. He has multiple very impressive opposite field bombs already
mack22 2
I said the same about Muncy when he was a rookie, remember his defense, or lack there of?
sdbaseballguy
He has a GIANT hole in his swing. He’ll strike out roughy 50% of his at bats.
gbs42
No one strikes out half the time and stays in the majors. Time will tell.
BeforeMcCourt
Hahahaha. McKinstry has never struck out more than 24% of his at bats sans a 7 at bat preview in 2020, and was closer to 19% in the upper minors , but it’s gonna explode 2 1/2 times that level now? What an interesting scouting take
Datashark
DJ Peters will make people remember JOC’s K rate with low Avg as pitchers recognize DJ his K’s will outweigh his use
oldmansteve
And he will make people remember Joc’s walk rates and power. You say that as if Joc wasn’t a good hitter.
sdbaseballguy
Peters is a K machine.
gbs42
I imagine the Dodgers still have some decent hitters in their minor league system.
DodgerOK
Joc is not a good hitter. He is a timely, sometimes clutch hitter. The rest of the time he goes down swinging for the fences.
oldmansteve
His career 116 wRC+ begs to differ. We have actual statistics, we don’t have to rely on your tales.
Ron Tingley
As much as I thought Joc was an average platoon player with pop, he pretty much crushed the ball when he did make contact. Lefties may always get the better of him but his was value was way underrated.
Guys like Joe Carter, Ruben Sierra and Mark Trumbo drove in 100 RBI with their low average and had an even lower on base percentage. Goo Angels!
gbs42
Most of those RBI probably were because the hitters in the lineup ahead of them had high OBPs.
vincent k. mcmahon
Ah, I think I know who Zach Reks is in MLB The Show 21. People weren’t wrong when they said prospects were missing, and the names and ages of said prospects were wrong.
Stop Giving Billionaires Money
Two different dodger utility lefties.
vincent k. mcmahon
Indeed. Although I’d have to see if McKinstry is in the Dodgers farm system, as I am doing a custom Brooklyn Dodgers franchise.
LATrolleyDodger
Wow, that’s a blow to this team because he’s been producing! Not too happy with the offense we have on the field right now. Got Belli, Lux, and now McKinstry on the shelf. Hoping DJ Peters can make up for it. Lots of call ups getting chances. Rios isn’t looking good and besides the HR yesterday Neuse has looked nervous out there. Also, need Mookies bat to wake up
LATrolleyDodger
Don’t even get me started on AJ Pollock
theroyal19
Pollock did have a couple of good swings last night. Hopefully he starts to turn it around because he hasn’t looked good yet.
LATrolleyDodger
He did have a few and he was the only double in the Mariners game the Dodgers won. It’s inconsistency with him. He should be showing these youngins the way.
BeforeMcCourt
Pollock tied for the team lead in home runs last year and dodger fans pretend he’s done nothing to deserve some time to get going. Especially when you factor in he’s been hurt…
LATrolleyDodger
I did factor that in and he bounced back last year but now he is regressing again. Last year is last year…
oldmansteve
I wonder if you treat the people in your life the same way.
I don’t care if you birth, nourished, housed, clothed, and raised me, Mom. What have you done for me today?
theroyal19
Slow starts happen. Pollock’s at bats have not been good overall. He’s looked really stiff in the box at times and strikeout rate is up so far
BeforeMcCourt
“ He’s looked really stiff in the box at times and strikeout rate is up so far”
Once again. HES BEEN PLAYING HURT. But he got hurt when Betts, Lux & Bellinger did, and it wasn’t as bad, so he just rode the bench/PH’d for a couple days. Then Taylor also got hurt and McKinstry got hurt, so AJ was back on the field. It’s near a 100% lock he’s hurt still and it’s nagging. But sure, continue to complain away
hockeynick97
Mookie has made solid contact in nearly every plate appearance but just hasn’t found the holes. It’ll happen…
Mynameisnoname
To have two starters and three contributors out of the line-up without any real reservations about future performance says a heck of a lot about the Dodgers’ laughable depth.
I don’t see how they win less than 108 games this year.
GarryHarris
DP Peters looks like a rangy defensive CF with a strong but not so accurate arm, allot of power and a serious K issue.
BeforeMcCourt
You can see why they A. Want to see what they have and B. Hope he does well as an audition for mid season trades
I half joke