Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Ryan Pepiot was named the Pacific Coast League (PCL) Pitcher of the Week for August 7-13 by Minor League Baseball thanks to his stellar performance with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Pepiot faced the Tacoma Rainers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, on Sunday and pitched one of the best games of his career.
The 25-year-old was perfect into the seventh before he allowed a hit to begin the inning. He was able to record two more outs before exiting the game.
Pepiot finished the day going 6.2 innings while striking out a career-high 11 hitters, giving up no runs and one hit with no walks.
The right-hander threw 90 pitches, which was his highest total of the season. He’s made six starts in total, but the first four were on a rehab assignment before he was activated and optioned at the beginning of the month.
In his two starts since being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, Pepiot has thrown 10.2 innings, giving up six hits and two runs with two walks and 14 strikeouts. In his six total games, he has gone 0-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 22.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP.
Pepiot missed the first three and a half months with a strained left oblique after the expectation was he would begin the year in the Opening Day rotation.
The Dodgers had hoped the injury would be minor, but instead, Pepiot dealt with lingering discomfort and had trouble clearing the hurdle of pitching off a mound. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 21.
Pepiot made his MLB debut last year and had a modest showing, going 3-0 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over nine games (seven starts).
His biggest issues stemmed from failing to consistently throw strikes as he walked 27 batters in 36.1 innings, so his command focal point during offseason training and an area where he appeared to be improved during Spring Training.
Will Ryan Pepiot pitch for the Dodgers in 2023?
With Pepiot back healthy, he is likely at the front of the line to take a rotation spot if any of the current starters become unavailable to pitch.
The Dodgers could also recall Pepiot on September 1 when active rosters expand by two spots. Teams will be allowed to carry a maximum of 14 pitchers, and the Dodgers currently have 12, although one spot is expected to be filled by Gus Varland.
While Pepiot could find himself starting for the Dodgers, they may be best off being what he can provide out of the bullpen for a potential postseason role.
Still, Pepiot making the roster depends on the health of some of the other injured pitchers in the organization, such as Walker Buehler, Michael Grove, Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly and Yency Almonte.
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