Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula logged his first MLB hit against the Miami Marlins on Sunday, hitting a 416-foot homer.
De Paula joined the team before their series against the Marlins, and looked good through his first couple of games despite not recording a base hit. He managed to reach base three times via walk, and scored a run in Saturday’s loss.
The outfielder’s solid plate approach paid off in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game, as he worked a 2-2 count before getting an inside fastball from Eury Perez. He turned on the ball, launching it into the second deck in right field while taking a moment to watch it land.
“[It was] sick, to see all of them react that way, they were all rooting for me. They’ve been great and accepted me,” De Paula said. “I was just enjoying the moment, man. There will never be – I feel like – a moment as special as my first one, so I’ll never forget it.”
He had a solid game at the plate altogether, as he went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk alongside his three-run shot.
Related coverageDodgers Put Ohtani on IL, Call Up Top ProspectRead more →
The Dodgers, unfortunately, couldn’t hold the 3-0 lead De Paula granted them, as they allowed four runs in the final inning to lose, 6-4.
Sep 13, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Josue de Paula (95) hits a three-run home run against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesDid Josue De Paula Deserve His Call Up?
De Paula was an obvious choice for the Dodgers to bring up after Ohtani went down injured, as their offense had struggled through the past few weeks and he needed to be on the 40-man as he is Rule 5 eligible in the offseason.
He had a fantastic season in the minors before his call up, crushing Double-A pitching over the course of 124 games. He hit 27 homers and logged 104 RBIs prior to his move to MLB, both of which are career highs, and had a .948 OPS on the year.
Can Josue De Paula Play in the Postseason?
De Paula didn’t have a 40-man roster spot at the beginning of September so he usually wouldn’t be able to join the team for a postseason run, but an injury exemption could allow the Dodgers to have him come October.
Both Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing went on the injured list after the Sept. 1 deadline, and Rushing definitely won’t return before the start of the postseason. The Dodgers can appeal to the Commissioner’s Office if any players on the team before Aug. 31 remains on the injured list by the beginning of October.
De Paula will hope to continue impressing in the bigs as the Dodgers continue their escapade for the franchise’s first three-peat.