DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 5: Relief pitcher Julian Fernandez #30 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch to home plate during the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on September 5, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. Fernandez is making his Major League debut.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up one of baseball’s hardest throwers.
Julian Fernandez, a flame-throwing right-hander who last pitched with the Colorado Rockies in 2021, is being promoted to the big leagues, the Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reported Monday.
Fernandez, 29, signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers in January. He has appeared in 24 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, going 3-0 with a 4.08 ERA while striking out 32 batters in 28.2 innings.
Julian Fernandez Features Record Fastball
Fernandez has bounced around quite a bit during his career, last reaching the majors in 2021 with Colorado. He failed to stick, allowing eight runs in 6.2 innings out of the bullpen for a 10.80 ERA.
Still, Fernandez made an impression, hitting 102.4 mph on the radar gun in a game. At the time, it was the hardest pitch in Rockies history during the Statcast Era.
Fernandez spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Triple-A, pitching for Albuquerque (Rockies) and Buffalo (Blue Jays), respectively, before spending the 2024 season with El Aguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. In 34 appearances for Veracruz, Fernandez recorded a 1.82 ERA with 19 saves while striking out 43 in 34.2 innings.
In 285.2 career innings in the minor leagues, the 6-foot-6 Fernandez has a 4.35 ERA with 277 strikeouts compared to 144 walks. He also has 23 saves, 13 of which came in 2016 with Low-A Boise (Rockies).
Fernandez was outrighted off Colorado’s roster in 2022 and signed a minor-league deal with Toronto in 2023. After posting a 10.61 ERA in seven appearances (9.1 innings) at Triple-A, Fernandez was released.
Injuries Have Hampered Dodgers Pitching
Fernandez will try to carve out a role in the Dodgers’ bullpen, which has been taxed because of injuries. Los Angeles currently has 12 pitchers on the injured list, including former All-Stars Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell and highly touted rookie Roki Sasaki.
The Dodgers were swept in three games by the Houston Astros over the weekend, outscored 29-6. Despite that, the defending World Series champions remain atop the National League West at 56-35, 7.0 games ahead of two teams.
Los Angeles was set to open a three-game series on Monday in Milwaukee against the Brewers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto squaring off against Freddy Peralta.
Fernandez is not on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, meaning the club will need to make a corresponding move to activate him.
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