LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers opening day roster has been finalized, if not yet officially announced, since Sunday when Alex Freeland beat out Hyeseong Kim for a platoon role at second base. Antoine Kelly and Chris Campos were the last two non-roster pitchers remaining in camp, and made the trip to Southern California for the Freeway Series after having strong showings in Arizona.
Kelly signed to a minor league deal by the Dodgers in November after pitching six minor league seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, and Colorado Rockies systems. The 26-year-old left-hander has yet to reach the majors, but it’s not hard to see that changing some time this season after his impressive spring.
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Kelly led Dodgers pitchers in Arizona with nine appearances, with 11 strikeouts and a 34.4-percent strikeout rate in 8 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and walked four, and was consistently pitching in the high-90s along with an effective slider.
“Big fastball, easy velocity, slider. He’s been filling up the strike zone. He’s had a tremendous camp. And I think as far as some guys that weren’t on our radar that are now, he’s one of them,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday. “For us, just getting him here on this trip was something that he earned, and we wanted him to kind of reward him with his spring. So yeah, he’ll go down to OKC, and won’t be surprised to see him at some point with us in a relief role.”
Campos grew up going to games at Dodger Stadium, born in Montebello and playing baseball at Damien High School in La Verne. He was a two-way player at St. Mary’s College, the same school that produced Corbin Burnes and Tony Gonsolin, to name a few.
Roberts said his son Cole while at Loyola Marymount played against Campos. Cole Roberts walked against Campos, who struck out seven in four innings in that 2022 game.
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Campos pitched almost exclusively as a starter or in bulk relief in his four professional seasons since getting drafted in the seventh round in 2022. This spring as a reliever, he allowed only a run on 11 hits in his 10 innings of work over seven appearances this spring. Campos didn’t walk a batter until issuing two free passes Monday night in his Dodger Stadium debut, and struck out 12 of his 43 batters faced (27.9 percent).
“I like him. He’s just very confident, and I wish everyone carried themselves the way he carries himself on the mound, with the confidence that he has,” Roberts said of Campos. “He’s not a high velocity guy, he’s a command guy. Uses three, four different pitches, and so just probably lets his stuff play up in a relief role and see how he can, you know, bounce back”
They didn’t make the opening day roster, but Kelly and Campos sure pitched themselves into consideration for a call-up at some point this season.
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