In spite of the fact that a Dodgers starter yet again couldn’t get past the fifth inning on Friday night – in this case left-hander Scott Kazmir who was out after only three innings – Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he plans to finish out the first half, albeit only two games, with his current 25-man roster … for now, that is.

“I expect we’re going to stay the course with what we’ve got,” said Roberts, after Friday night’s 10-6 win over the San Diego Padres. “There might be something that happens but as I understand it right now, I think that we’re going to stick with what we have.”

What Roberts has, at least as of this moment, is 13 position players, five starters and seven relievers on his current 25-man roster. The most recent addition – by way of subtraction – is 24-year-old rookie outfielder Andrew Toles, who was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Friday night’s contest with the Padres. Toles replaced right-hander Carlos Frias, who himself had been called up the day before to fill in as a long reliever after Wednesday afternoon’s 14-inning, 5:26-hour affair with the Baltimore Orioles which saw all but one Dodgers reliever used (Pedro Baez).

In his major league debut Toles ripped a leadoff double into the left-center field gap in the second inning only to be left stranded at third base. He did, however, hit the ball extremely hard in each of his three other at-bats resulting in hard line drives to the outfield – one to center field and two to left field for the 5′-10″ / 185-pound powerful Decatur, Georgia native who bats left and throws right.

It took only one pitch in his first major league at-bat for Dodgers rookie outfielder Andrew Toles to show why he had a .300+ batting average at Rancho Cucamonga, Tulsa and Oklahoma City this season.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The addition of Toles – which came as a surprise to all but those who have been following his outstanding minor league season this year – was made to give Roberts and the Dodgers a much-needed left-handed bat off the bench, something that they have been in seriously need of with center fielder Joc Pederson on the 15-day disabled list for a sprained A.C. joint in his right shoulder. Toles arrived just prior to Friday night’s game after what he said was an exhausting day.

“I’m pretty tired,” Toles said, when asked if he was surprised to find his name in the starting lineup. “I had a long flight, I had to get up at like eight o’clock, or six or something like that. I’m pretty surprised.”

Asked if he might get a quick nap in before the game, Toles kidded “I’m going to try.” (He did not).

Although Frias was optioned back to OKC immediately following Thursday night’s 6-0 loss to the Padres, he gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed – four scoreless innings of relief to give their (very) overworked bullpen some much-needed rest after Wednesday’s marathon game.

“It’s kind of a never-ending theme that it takes a certain start for our pen to reset, so we’re pretty much in reset mode again,” Roberts said. “With what Frias did was huge to give us four innings and to put up zeros, and to save the pen, so it’s one of those things – it’s a numbers situation – and Carlos threw well and just the situation where we’re at, we had to option him out to get a bat in there, but I commend Carlos on what he did for us.”

With right-hander Luis Perdomo on the mound tonight for the Padres, it is very likely that Toles will again get the start in center field for the Dodgers in lieu of the right-handed-hitting Trayce Thompson. Perdomo will be up against Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who will be making his second start since coming off the DL for Tommy John surgery. McCarthy was absolutely brilliant in his 2016 season debut on July 3 when he held the Colorado Rockies scoreless with only two hits while walking one and striking out eight in his five innings of work.