The Dodgers’ time in Arizona this spring training is almost done, with only two more days of games before heading back to Southern California. The opening day roster is close to finalized, with only a few more moves left to make.
Counting the 40-man roster and non-roster invitees, the Dodgers technically had 77 players in big league camp, which makes for a crowded clubhouse. But the player pool used to play in Cactus League games was much larger, with a few handfuls of players up for the minor league side
of camp every single day.
Thus far in camp, 23 position players and 21 pitchers from the minor league side have appeared for the Dodgers in spring training games.
Every single Dodgers prospect to appear on a top-100 list has played for the Dodgers this spring, the bulk of them non-roster invitees. From the minor league side, outfielder Eduardo Quintero appeared in six games so far, and shortstop Emil Morales played twice. Outfielder Mike Sirota got into four games, including a start at designated hitter on Tuesday, and homered earlier this spring.
Pitchers from the minors to appear the most this spring are Antonio Knowles at six games, Cam Day in five games, and Cody Morse at four games.
Knowles struck out seven and walked three in his 4 2/3 innings, with one run allowed. Morse, drafted by the Dodgers in the 12th round in 2024, struck out seven of the 16 batters he’s faced in Cactus League play this spring. Knowles leads the Dodgers with two saves this spring, and Morse is one of seven pitchers with one save.
The most frequent position players from minor league camp this spring are Kyle Nevin with 11 games and Elijah Hainline at eight games. Logan Wagner and Austin Gauthier have gotten into seven games each.
Another quirk of such a full camp this spring is the Dodgers using the leading zero for many of the uniform numbers for the minor leaguers to wear when they temporarily join the big league spring team.
Players on the 40-man roster and the non-roster invitees all get jerseys with their names on the back for spring training. Players from the minor league side get generic uniforms with no name, and sometimes wear different numbers, most of them in the 80s and 90s. But with so many numbers already in use, rather than doubling up (the Royals used two players wearing 77 on Tuesday against the Dodgers, for instance, which wouldn’t fly in the regular season) the Dodgers have liberally used every number from 01 to 09 throughout this spring.
Gauthier this spring has worn 89 multiple times but has also suited up wearing 88 and 01. Kyle Nevin has worn at least 91, 93, 03, and 09.
Hainline, a seventh-round pick from Oregon State in 2024, has worn o5, o6, and 08, to name a few. Hainline impressed on defense in the middle infield this spring, and also hit a home run on March 2.
Whatever numbers they are wearing, we’ve seen a lot of Dodgers this spring.
