Under normal circumstances, this Monday – March 6 – would be an unpleasant day for players in spring training camp as non-roster invitees. This is right around the time that many MLB teams would be making their first round of what is normally three or four rounds of cuts; that dreaded day when many of the young minor leaguers who were blessed to receive an invitation to big league camp must pack their bags and move into minor league clubhouses at spring training facilities in both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.

Realistically, most non-roster invitees knew their fate the moment that they received their invitations to major league camp. And although hope springs eternal and all that, there are always a few surprises in every team’s camp. But by and large, the chances of an NRI making their team’s Opening Day roster are astronomical at best.

But in 2006, 2009, 2013 and now again in 2017, the World Baseball Classic rolls around and it has a very drastic impact on every major league team. Players within their respective organizations – both major leaguers and minor leaguers – head off to participate in the WBC in representation of their countries, thereby creating a hole in each team’s major league spring training camp. And while front offices across the country hope and pray that those within their organizations who have elected to participate in the WBC will return to camp unscathed, their players’ absences creates opportunities for others within their system that might not otherwise exist.

Of the nine Dodgers expected to participate in the 2017 WBC, five are currently on the Dodgers 40-man roster:

• Adrian Gonzalez (Mexico)
• Sergio Romo (Mexico)
• Julio Urias (Mexico)
• Kiké Hernandez (Puerto Rico)
• Rob Segedin (Italy)

The two Dodgers non-roster invitees scheduled to participate in the 2017 WBC are:

• Alex Verdugo (Mexico)
• Ike Davis (Israel)

The two Dodgers minor leaguers not in major league spring training camp scheduled to participate in the 2017 WBC are:

• Drew Maggi (Italy)
• Dean Kremer (Israel)

What all of this means is that seven Dodger players currently in big league camp will need to be replaced, albeit on a game-by-game basis and without their replacements being added to either the 40-man roster or non-roster invitee list. As such, Dodger fans will be seeing quite a few minor leaguers in major league spring training games over the next three weeks – players who more than likely would not have received such an opportunity and honor (and trust me, it is) were it not for the WBC. In fact, one such player made his first-ever major league spring training appearance in Friday’s game against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks – Dodgers 2016 fourth-round draft pick and lifelong Dodger fan DJ Peters, who pinch-hit in the top of the seventh inning of the eventual 15-2 Dbacks rout of the Dodgers.

What was it like for the 21-year-old Glendora, California native to actually play in a major league game?

“Getting a chance to play my first-ever spring training game and getting my first-ever spring training at-bat on the big league side was an absolute blessing,” Peters said. “Being around those guys and being around guys like Doc [Dodgers manager Dave Roberts] and Orel (Hershiser) and much more is so surreal. I had a blast and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I got a taste of what the major league side is like, I hope to get another opportunity to do so.”

There is zero doubt that 21-year-old Glendora native DJ Peters was nervous before his first MLB spring training at-bat on Friday afternoon, but the lifelong Dodger fan did a pretty good job of hiding it.
(Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports AZ)

Although things didn’t work out as Peters had hoped with two on and two outs (he struck out looking), he came away from his one and only at-bat on the day a little wiser and with a positive attitude.

“It was exciting and I had a good at-bat,” said Peters. “I fouled off some good pitches really hard and had like a six-pitch AB”

Those who frequent this site will recall that Peters was one of only four minor leaguers who volunteered to face Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and fellow left-handers Hyun-Jin Ryu, Scott Kazmir and Alex Wood in their first simulated games of the spring. During those sim games Peters was the only one to hit each of these MLB veterans – including Kershaw – hard. As you would expect, some of the top Dodgers brass was on hand during those simulated game, albeit to watch their top starters, but there is little doubt that Peters’ at-bats against several of the team’s best starting pitchers left a favorable impression on guys named Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi and Dave Roberts. Keep in mind that Peters is coming off only his first professional season, having spent nearly all of it with the Ogden Raptors of the short season Pioneer Rookie League.