The Los Angeles Dodgers are limping toward the finish line of the 2024 regular season, struggling to hold off the surging San Diego Padres, who have sliced a 9-game deficit to just 3 games in the standings. Despite a roster brimming with talent and significant offseason investments, the Dodgers have been hampered by a relentless wave of pitching injuries that has destabilized their rotation.
Among the most prominent injuries, Tyler Glasnow is back on the injured list, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s return remains in question. Promising rookie River Ryan, once expected to help stabilize the rotation, is now sidelined by an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery.
Despite their pitching woes, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been a consistent force, boasting a 3.58 ERA (fifth in MLB) and a WHIP of 1.18 (second). Still, with the rotation’s persistent instability, it appears manager Dave Roberts could benefit from another top-tier bullpen arm. Enter Edgardo Henriquez, a hard-throwing 22-year-old prospect who has rocketed through the Dodgers’ farm system this season.
Having started the year in Single-A, Henriquez has risen to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he’s become known for his blistering fastball, which has topped 103 mph. According to CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson, Henriquez could be a wildcard addition to the Dodgers’ playoff bullpen if he continues to develop.
“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,” Anderson writes. “We think he’s all but certain to make his big-league debut this fall.”
Henriquez has shown flashes of brilliance, striking out 76 batters in 44.1 innings this season with a 2.80 ERA. However, control issues have followed him up the minor-league ladder. While he’s struck out six batters in 4.1 innings at Triple-A, he’s also allowed seven hits and two runs.
Henriquez’s ascent has been remarkable, especially considering his background. Originally signed by the Dodgers out of Venezuela in 2018 as a catcher, Henriquez struggled after being converted to a pitcher. Following three up-and-down seasons and a lost 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, Henriquez has reemerged in 2024 as a flamethrower with an elite fastball and a promising mix of breaking pitches.
“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,” notes Baseball America. “But the selling point is his double-plus fastball with above-average ride and armside run.”
As the Dodgers seek to lock down a playoff spot, they may look to Henriquez to bring his overpowering arsenal to the majors and offer some relief to their injury-riddled staff.
