Nick

Frasso

The 27-year-old hurler was non-tendered to free up a spot on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in late November, but he’ll return to the two-time World Champions on a minor league pact where he’ll continue to provide valuable pitching depth. Frasso posted a 5.49 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and a 68/42 K/BB ratio over 77 innings in 43 appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025.

Frasso, who looked like a nice rotation prospect two years ago, returned from missing all of 2024 to post a 5.49 ERA and a 68/42 K/BB in 77 innings while mostly working as a reliever in Triple-A. There’s still some hope for him as a relief prospect, and there should be a lot of interest in him on a minor or maybe even a major league deal, assuming that the Dodgers don’t already have an agreement with him.

Frasso’s season was already over, but the Dodgers needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the promotion of Andrew Heaney so this procedural move made perfect sense. The 26-year-old hurler posted a 5.49 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and a 68/42 K/BB ratio over 77 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City in his return from shoulder and hip injuries.

Frasso hurled a scoreless inning last weekend against the Royals in his first game action since missing all of last year due to shoulder and hip injuries. The 26-year-old former top pitching prospect should get an opportunity to contribute later this summer for Los Angeles, but will likely spend a few months at the Triple-A level getting his feet back under him following an extended layoff.

Frasso missed all of 2024 while dealing with shoulder and hip injuries, but the 26-year-old reminded — even in a short sample — why he’s not long removed from being a top prospect. The 6-foot-5 right-hander faces a tall task in breaking into this loaded rotation, but he may have the arsenal to be an option at some point this summer. He’s certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Frasso appears to be fully healthy entering spring training after missing last year following shoulder and hip surgeries. The 26-year-old righty has minor-league options remaining and figures to require some additional time at Triple-A Oklahoma City to get back up to speed following the lengthy layoff, but he could factor into the Dodgers’ pitching mix at some point in the next few months.

With the Dodgers and Padres set to open the regular season sooner than the rest of the league, expect them to trim down their rosters more quickly than the rest of the league. Knack, 26, had been a dark horse to see occasional starts as part of a six-man rotation to begin the season, but he’ll start out as excess depth at the Triple-A level instead.

The expectation is that Frasso will miss the entire 2024 campaign, but should be ready to pitch by the time the Arizona Fall League rolls around. The 25-year-old pitching prospect underwent shoulder surgery last November, which took him out of contention to contribute this season for Los Angeles.

It’s a substantial development for the Dodgers as Frasso, who was added to Los Angeles’ 40-man roster back in November, is one of the organization’s top pitching prospects and was expected to be ready to contribute at some point this upcoming season in the big leagues. The 25-year-old righty was outstanding last year, posting a stellar 3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 107/31 K/BB ratio across 93 innings (25 starts) between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. The hope is that he’ll be ready for the outset of the 2025 campaign, but major shoulder surgeries are extremely complicated matters.

A member of the vaunted Double-A Tulsa rotation in the Dodgers’ system this past season, Frasso should figure into Los Angeles’ pitching plans at some point next year. The 25-year-old right-hander, who is currently MLB Pipeline’s 65th-ranked prospect entering the offseason, will be shielded from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. He compiled a strong 3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 107/31 K/BB ratio across 93 innings (25 starts) this past season between Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City.