Double-A Tulsa Drillers 2018 preliminary opening day roster

LOS ANGELES — Highlighting the preliminary opening day roster for the Tulsa Drillers are the Dodgers’ top two catching prospects, with Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith starting their 2018 season in Double-A.

Smith got the call to Tulsa in 2017 but broke his hand in his first game with the Drillers. He was ranked the Dodgers’ No. 9 prospect heading into 2018 by our own David Hood.

The assignment of Ruiz to Double-A is aggressive, but deserved. The switch-hitter played just 38 games at High-A Rancho Cucamonga but combined to hit .316/.361/.452 between Low-A Great Lakes and Rancho in 2017, winning the Branch Rickey Award as the Dodgers’ minor league player of the year.

Ruiz doesn’t turn 20 until July 20.

Among the pitchers they will be catching are Yadier Alvarez and Dennis Santana, who each made seven starts in Tulsa last year, Santana was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in November.

Also on the 40-man roster and in Tulsa is pitcher Dylan Baker, who was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers in January. Henry Owens will join Baker in the Drillers bullpen shortly but will first open the year on Tulsa’s DL.

Mitchell White also made seven starts in Tulsa last season, and the 2016 second-round pick remains in extended spring training building up his innings before joining an affiliate. Outfielder Yusniel Diaz is also starting the year in extended spring training building up his workload.

Jesus Liranzo was originally ticketed for Tulsa after getting acquired from Baltimore on Monday, but the right-hander was designated for assignment on Tuesday.