LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers selected left-hander Ronan Kopp to their 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday's 3 p.m. PT deadline to protect prospects from next month's Rule 5 Draft.
Kopp was the only player added, leaving others exposed, but the Dodgers did not have many obvious candidates to protect. None of their seven prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list were eligible, and only two of their Top 30 prospects were: right-hander Peter Heubeck (No. 23) and shortstop Noah Miller (No. 25).
Players first signed at age 18 or younger must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. The Rule 5 Draft will take place during the Winter Meetings from Dec. 7-10 in Orlando, Fla.
The Dodgers' 40-man roster is at 39 players. They recently opened a spot by trading left-hander Robinson Ortiz -- who had his contract selected earlier this month -- to the Mariners in exchange for righty Tyler Gough on Sunday.
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Kopp, 23, was the Dodgers' 12th-round pick in the 2021 Draft out of South Mountain Community College in Phoenix. He began this past season with Double-A Tulsa and ended it with Triple-A Oklahoma City, combining for a 3.43 ERA across 49 appearances. He struck out 91 against 42 walks in 57 2/3 innings.
Among Minor Leaguers who pitched at least 50 innings in Double-A and Triple-A, Kopp's 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings rate was the fourth highest.
While Kopp was the only prospect protected on Tuesday, the Dodgers also added one of their Rule 5-eligible Minor Leaguers to the 40-man roster on Nov. 6. Unranked outfield prospect Ryan Ward had his contract selected after a Pacific Coast League MVP campaign with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Left unprotected in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, Ward was not selected by any of the other 29 teams. He was Los Angeles' eighth-round Draft pick in 2019, and he enjoyed a breakout ’25, his third year with Oklahoma City.
Ward hit .290 with a .937 OPS, 36 homers and 122 RBIs. He struck out 20 fewer times than in ’24 in 123 additional plate appearances. His statement offensive season had him on the Dodgers' radar as the big league club got inconsistent production from its outfielders, but he was ultimately never called up.
That could change in 2026, which will be his age-28 season. General manager Brandon Gomes told reporters at last week's GM Meetings that Ward will likely get some opportunities at the big league level, which could help fill the Dodgers' need in the outfield.