Josue De Paula on mission to improve defense — and break into Dodgers lineup
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Josue De Paula recognizes that earning regular playing time for the Los Angeles Dodgers requires him to upgrade his defensive abilities in the outfield, given that Shohei Ohtani occupies the designated hitter role under a long-term contract. To address these shortcomings, the twenty-one-year-old plans to train at a Miami facility run by his agent Scott Boras alongside former major leaguer Alex Ochoa and former Gold Glove winner Jackie Bradley Jr.
During a late-season call-up and subsequent postseason run, De Paula primarily served as a designated hitter before being pulled early in his lone start in left field. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman noted that the young hitter made visible progress over the past year by experiencing a major league environment firsthand alongside teammates like Mookie Betts.
