OKC Dodgers Release Preliminary 2021 Roster

OKLAHOMA CITY – Following a lost season in 2020, the Oklahoma City Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers have announced the OKC Dodgers’ preliminary roster as the team make its long-awaited return to play.

Due to new Triple-A rules to accommodate health and safety protocols as well as the needs of the Major League parent club, the roster has been expanded to a maximum of 33 players, although only 28 players will be active per game. Some members of the OKC roster will concurrently serve as part of the official Los Angeles Dodgers Taxi Squad. The OKC Dodgers’ preliminary roster will begin with 30 total players.

The roster is headlined by the consensus top pitching prospect in the organization, Josiah Gray. The 23-year-old was named the Los Angeles Dodgers Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019, dominating across three levels of the Minor Leagues. In both 2020 and 2021, Gray was part of the Dodgers’ Alternate Training Site. He will be the team’s Opening Night starting pitcher Thursday at Round Rock.

Four other players are listed among the organization’s top 30 prospects per Baseball America or MLB Pipeline: infielder Omar Estévez, outfielders DJ Peters and Zach Reks, and pitcher Edwin Uceta.

Peters and Reks both spent part of 2019 with the OKC Dodgers. In 58 games at Triple-A, Peters posted an impressive .878 OPS with 12 homers, and after not seeing formal game action last year, he made his Major League debut earlier this season. Reks quickly joined OKC in early May 2019 after a blistering start at Double-A Tulsa. He whacked 28 total homers with a .921 OPS between Tulsa and OKC, and he finished the 2019 season leading all Dodgers farmhands with 93 total RBI.

Estévez and Uceta are both 23-year-old former international signees. Estévez signed with the Dodgers as a highly-touted Cuban prospect in 2015, and Uceta signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2016. Although neither has played at Triple-A before, Uceta did make his Major League debut April 30 in Milwaukee as a spot starter.

Peters, Reks and Uceta are three of the four OKC players currently on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 40-man roster. Reliever Phil Bickford, who was claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week, is the fourth.

Due to the gap between seasons, only three players on the Opening Day roster spent time with OKC in 2019. In addition to Peters and Reks, veteran relief pitcher Kevin Quackenbush also returns. Quackenbush led OKC relievers with 11 saves and 85 strikeouts in 2019 and was named a PCL Mid-Season All-Star.

Fifteen players have previous Major League experience and seven appeared in the Major Leagues in 2020 despite the pandemic-shortened season: Bickford, infielder Matt Davidson (Cincinnati), pitcher Mike Kickham (Boston), pitcher James Pazos (Colorado), infielder Rangel Ravelo (St. Louis), infielder Elliot Soto (Los Angeles Angels) and outfielder Steven Souza Jr. (Chicago Cubs). The latter six each signed with the Dodgers as minor league free agents this past offseason.

Catcher Tim Federowicz enters his second stint with the Dodgers organization. He spent parts of the 2012-14 seasons in Los Angeles, including his Major League debut in 2012. Federowicz has since gone on to appear in the Majors with Chicago (NL), San Francisco, Houston, Cincinnati and Texas.

Others who have appeared in the Majors throughout their careers are infielder Carlos Asuaje, pitcher Austin Bibens-Dirkx, infielder Andy Burns, pitcher Yefry Ramírez and pitcher Aaron Wilkerson.

In addition to the heavy veteran presence, there are nine additional players who are set to appear above Double-A for the first time: Outfielder Drew Avans, pitcher Edward Cuello, catcher Hamlet Marte, pitcher Jordan Martinson, pitcher Ryan Moseley, pitcher Darien Nunez, pitcher Logan Salow, infielder Cristian Santana, pitcher Andrew Schwaab and pitcher Cyrillo Watson.

Although it will not be his first time at Triple-A, for reliever Yaisel Sierra it marks the first time he will compete in non-rehab game action since 2017 due to various injuries.

The Oklahoma City Dodgers open play Thursday on the road against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. Live coverage throughout the six-game road series will be available on AM 1340 The Game or through the iHeartRadio mobile app.

The Dodgers will make their return to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark for the first time since September 2019 when they open a series against the Sacramento River Cats Thursday, May 13 at 7:05 p.m. It’s the first of six consecutive home games, including postgame fireworks on both May 13-14. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit okcdodgers.com/tickets or call (405) 218-2182.