For Dodger fans who also follow their team’s minor league affiliates, July 4, 2021, will be one to remember.

In his first appearance in two months while rehabbing from a right shoulder impingement, 23-year-old right-hander Josiah Gray tossed two perfect innings with one strikeout for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.

But that’s the second big story on our Nation’s 245th birthday.

Up the I-44 a bit in Tulsa, 23-year-old right-hander Ryan Pepiot threw seven scoreless/hitless innings for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers while walking only one and striking out 11 Arkansas Travellers batters, to go 3-2 on the season with an outstanding 1.73 ERA.

Pepiot was selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. The Indianapolis native spent time with the (Mota) Arizona Rookie League Dodgers and the (then) Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons in 2019 before the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season. He began the 2021 season with the Drillers, for whom he has made six starts to date.

But is there a chance, a realistic chance, that the 6′-3″ / 215-pound hard-throwing right-hander might actually receive a callup to the Dodgers this season?

“It’s certainly a possibility,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts answered when asked this exact question. “Ryan had a really special night last night. I think the organization, Henny (Drillers manager Scott Hennessey), Borkowski (Drillers pitching coach Dave Borkowski) did a great job managing him, letting him get through seven. I thought it was great, fantastic. What a special night, a special young man.

“So, obviously with the need, I don’t think it was in the plans when we started the season, but things obviously in a baseball season change. So we’ll continue to evaluate, but Ryan’s a big part of what we’re doing now and going forward.”

Although the jump from Double-A to the Bigs is rare, it has happened before … including some guy named Clayton Kershaw.

As for Gray’s excellent two-inning first rehab outing, Roberts had this to say:

“I think with Josiah, he had a nice outing, threw a third inning in the bullpen after that two-inning stint. So it’s probably, and again, this is more of a PT (physical therapy) kind of decision as far as when he’s ready, but the five (innings) and 75 (pitches) is probably the floor to get him to, to re-entertain him joining us.”

Well done, men.

Play Ball!

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