Dodgers Rookie Ryan Pepiot Was Shocked By Roster News

The rookie right-hander was named to the opening day roster.

This week, Ryan Pepiot was officially christened as the number five starter to open the season. The rookie pitcher stood out above fellow right-hander Michael Grove in the competition to fill in the injured Tony Gonsolin, who is expected to miss a few weeks as he builds back up from an ankle injury.

On Saturday, he shared his reaction to the news and revealed that the team tried to trick him before breaking the good news. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was among those who shared.

“I was shocked,” Pepiot said. “I walked in, they were kind of somber, played it down, and I was like, ‘I’ve been in this room before.’ Then, they told me, and I was like, seriously? Very surreal. It’s a lifelong dream.”

As Roberts said earlier in the week, Pepiot earned the job. The 25-year-old hurler came into spring training ready to prove he belonged at the big league level after working on cleaning up some things in his delivery in the offseason.

At the outset of the season, it may only be a short-time job as Pep keeps a spot warm for the return of Gonsolin. But if he comes out of the gate strong, it may be hard for Dave Roberts to send him back down to AAA.