Dodgers Make Announcement on 67-SB Speedster After Clayton Kershaw News

While the romanticization of that moment is hard to understate, the Dodgers made a move on Thursday that will almost certainly operate under the radar, but shows the beautiful nature of the game of baseball.

After Kershaw's triumphant milestone showed the kinds of highs that the game can bring, the Dodgers called up Esteury Ruiz, a former standout outfielder for the Athletics, who had hit a low of his own.

After a wrist strain suffered last September, Ruiz was designated for assignment by the Athletics, just one season after a 2023 that saw him break the American League rookie record with an eye-popping 67 stolen bases.

Ruiz has been tearing it up at Triple-A Oklahoma City, slashing .295/.395/.456 with a characteristic 39 stolen bases in 68 games, which would have a full-season pace of 93 in a season.

Ruiz has earned his opportunity, but will now crack the big league roster after Max Muncy's knee injury suffered in Wednesday's game, which will necessitate further testing.

This 24-hour stretch illustrates the beauty of baseball: Kershaw reached the highest of highs after a 2024 season which saw him tear his meniscus, rupture his plantar plate in his toe and undergo shoulder surgery all in one year.

On the other side, Ruiz will get to make an impact with baseball's reigning champions and will hopefully display the scrappy kind of game that he became well-known for in Oakland.

That, my friend, is why it's hard to not be romantic about baseball.