Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson, who is currently on the 10-day Injured List for a “left oblique issue,” made his first of what is expected to be several rehab appearances on Friday night with the team’s Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

The 22-year-old Columbus, Ohio native and Dodgers 38th-round draft pick in 2014 out of West Jefferson High School in West Jefferson, Ohio, struck out the first two Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) batters he faced, the first swinging and the second looking. He then walked a batter on a full count, but on his first pitch to the fourth batter he faced, Dodgers 16th-ranked catching prospect Connor Wong threw out Visalia’s would-be base stealer to end the inning. Ferguson made a total of 18 pitches in his one inning of work, of which 12 were strikes.

Ferguson is no stranger to Quakes fans, as the 6′-3″ / 226-pound hard-throwing left hander appeared in 25 games (24 starts) for Rancho during the 2017 season. He finished that season with an impressive 9-4 record and even more impressive 2.87 ERA, which earned him a promotion to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers to begin the 2018 season.

Ferguson would make only eight starts with the Drillers before being promoted to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. But after only two starts with OKC, he was called up to the Dodgers, making his MLB debut on June 6, 2018.

With the Dodgers, Ferguson appeared in 29 games in 2018 – including three starts – before eventually being assigned to the Dodgers bullpen. He posted a combined (and impressive) 7-2 record with a 3.49 ERA.

Unfortunately, Ferguson’s success in 2018 did not carry over into 2019, in which he is currently 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 appearances (one start) over his combined 13.0 innings pitched. He did, however, strike out 14 of the 61 total batters he has faced thus far this season while walking eight before landing on the IL.

Although it is unknown at this time if Ferguson will make any additional rehab appearances (with the Quakes or otherwise), it is speculated that when he is ready to return to action, it will be with the Triple-A OKC Dodgers.

Stay tuned…

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