Andre Jackson appeared in more games this past season (four) than after making his MLB debut (three) with the the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, but he seemingly had fallen down the organizational depth chart.
When the Dodgers needed spot starts throughout the season, they relied on Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove to help fill the void. Jackson was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in April and August, but didn’t pitch for L.A. in either of those brief stints.
All of Jackson’s opportunities with the Dodgers came during the final month of the regular season when he was shuffled on and off their active roster.
He made the most of those by allowing just one earned run over a combined 5.2 innings pitched across three relief appearances. Jackson then turned in four innings with two runs allowed to the Colorado Rockies in his final game with the Dodgers.
While with OKC, the right-hander struggled to replicate success from 2021 that saw him pitch at three different Minor League levels. He opened the season 0-5 with a 6.34 ERA through 12 starts and was placed on the developmental list in June.
Upon returning in July, Jackson went 2-2 with two saves and a 3.62 ERA over his final nine games (seven starts) with Oklahoma City.
Although Jackson joined the Dodgers late in the season, he was covered by Justin Turner for the team’s annual dress-up day. Turner ordered extra costumes and had one for Jackson so he could go as a dancer from Chippendales. Jackson and Turner were accompanied by Cody Bellinger and Joey Gallo to complete the group.
Andre Jackson’s 2022 highlight
Although it came in a losing effort to the Rockies on Oct. 2, Jackson pitching four innings out of the bullpen was significant for the Dodgers in that he successfully piggybacked with Tyler Anderson to provide rest to a weary group of relief pitchers.
2023 outlook
Jackson is among the Dodgers who has less than three years of Major League service time and is still under team control. He figures to begin the 2023 season with Oklahoma City and again be part of the pitching depth the team will likely rely on throughout the year.
The 26-year-old conceivably could play a more prominent role next season as the Dodgers don’t have the same excess of starting pitching as they did heading into the 2022 campaign.
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