Dodgers News: Ryan Pepiot Wants to Pitch for LA in October

Ryan Pepiot is starting to stand out.

Ryan Pepiot, who started the season on the injured list, was seven outs from the 25th perfect game in MLB history Thursday night. Across seven innings, the 26-year-old allowed just one hit. His season ERA is now 0.86 across four starts. He made his big-league debut for the 2023 season in mid-August.

“Man, we were all pulling for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I was gonna give him every opportunity to finish that game if it was a no-hitter, let alone a perfect game.”

(Via

The Athletic

)

Now the pitcher is making a serious case to play in October.

Ryan Pepiot has now made four impressive appearances for the Dodgers this season:

5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

His season ERA is 0.86. He's making a serious push to start a postseason game this year.

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) September 8, 2023

With four strong starts, Pepiot is proving that he can contribute to the NL West-leading Dodgers after recovering from oblique and intercostal injuries that left him sidelined for four and a half months. 

With starting pitcher Julio Urias likely out for the remainder of the season, and potentially permanently, Pepiot could see significant action in the postseason. A recent announcement regarding pitcher Walker Buehler will further drive the chances Pepiot gets increased opportunities in October.

“When things happen that are unforeseen, it creates opportunities for others,” Roberts said. “To (Ryan’s) credit, he’s going out there and opening a lot of eyes.”

(Via

The Athletic

)

For a young pitcher who had shown great potential in spring training before being sidelined without throwing a single pitch in the big leagues this season, making the playoff roster would be a dream come true.

“It would be incredible,” Pepiot said. “Everyone wants to play in October. October baseball is something special. Just going out there every night and just trying to advance, win one game at a time, and go as far as you can would mean a lot to me.”

(Via

The Athletic

)

Pepiot could start next week against the San Diego Padres, but is not currently listed on the upcoming schedule.