Dodgers to call up No. 19 prospect Ryan Ward (report)

DENVER -- The Dodgers are planning to call up slugging left fielder/first baseman Ryan Ward, their No. 19 prospect per MLB Pipeline, according to a report by The Athletic. The club has not confirmed.

Ward, 28, has spent the past seven years in the organization’s farm system after being selected in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Despite hitting well in the Minors, a loaded Major League roster and drastic splits at the plate seem to have kept him from making his MLB debut to this point.

The reigning Pacific Coast League MVP launched 36 home runs and drove in 122 with a .937 OPS for Triple-A Oklahoma City last season, and he has gotten off to a hot start so far in 2026, with a 1.020 OPS and four homers -- including a 445-foot shot to lead off the game for Oklahoma City on Thursday.

The left-handed-hitting Ward has hit right-handed pitching extremely well, but he has struggled against left-handers. Last season, he produced a .319/.402/.636 slash line with 31 homers against right-handers, while posting a .686 OPS with five homers against lefties. MLB Pipeline considers him more suited for a platoon role than an everyday role in the big leagues.

Defensively, Ward has limited range and below-average arm strength, meaning he is likely only an option in left field or at first base -- though, as MLB Pipeline notes, his 5-foot-10 frame makes him less than an ideal candidate at the latter position.

It is unknown what the corresponding move on the Dodgers’ 26-man roster will be should the club call Ward up this weekend as they continue their series against the Rockies at Coors Field.