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Michael Busch, Kody Hoese open 2021 on Double-A Tulsa Drillers roster

Tulsa’s season opens Tuesday

Chicago White Sox v Los Angeles Dodgers Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

Two of the Dodgers’ best prospects — their first two draft picks in 2019 — found a home in the Tulsa Drillers infield, with Michael Busch and Kody Hoese starting the season in Double-A.

The second baseman Busch was rated in the back end of top-100 prospect lists this preseason by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, ESPN, and topping out at No. 74 by Keith Law at The Athletic. Busch and the third baseman Hoese were non-roster invitees in Dodgers camp this spring.

Busch and Hoese’s highest level in 2019 was Great Lakes, which was then a low-Class-A affiliate, though both spent time in 2020 at the Dodgers alternate training site at USC.

Pitchers Gerardo Carillo and Andre Jackson are the only Tulsa players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.

Other non-roster invitees on the Tulsa roster include pitchers Michael Grove, Ryan Pepiot, Nolan Long, Robinson Ortiz, Nick Robertson, and Gus Varland, catcher Hunter Feduccia, infielders Jacob Amaya, Devin Mann, and Ryan Noda, and outfielder James Outman.

The Drillers open their season at home Tuesday night at ONEOK Field, hosting Amarillo. The formerly-named Texas League is now called Double-A Central.

Scott Hennessey returns as Tulsa’s manager, as do hitting coach Brett Pill and pitching coach Dave Borkowski.

The active roster includes 28 players, plus four others on the injured and developmental lists. Yadier Alvarez begins the year on the injured list with Double-A.

Double-A Tulsa opening day roster

Pos Player 2021 age* Acquired
Pos Player 2021 age* Acquired
RHP Yadier Alvarez^ 25 Int'l FA (2015)
LHP Michael Boyle^ 27 2015 draft (13th rd)
LHP Justin Bruihl 24 undrafted FA (2017)
RHP Gerardo Carrillo 22 Int'l FA (2016)
RHP Max Gamboa 25 2017 draft (18th rd)
RHP Michael Grove 24 2018 draft (2nd rd)
RHP Justin Hagenman 24 2018 draft (23rd rd)
RHP Andre Jackson 25 2017 draft (12th rd)
RHP Nolan Long* 27 2015 draft (16th rd)
LHP Darien Nuñez 28 Int'l FA (2018)
RHP Aaron Ochsenbein 25 2019 draft (6th rd)
RHP Ryan Pepiot 23 2019 draft (3rd rd)
RHP Nick Robertson 22 2019 draft (7th rd)
LHP John Rooney 24 2018 draft (3rd rd)
RHP Gus Varland 24 trade (OAK), 2021
LHP Bryan Warzek 24 2018 draft (6th rd)
RHP Mark Washington 25 2017 draft (25th rd)
RHP Zach Welleman 25 2017 draft (19th rd)
RHP Guillermo Zuniga 22 Int'l FA (2016)
C Stevie Berman 26 2016 draft (31st rd)
C Hunter Feduccia 23 2018 draft (12th rd)
C Juan Zabala* 21 Int'l FA (2015)
1B/OF Ryan Noda 25 trade (TOR), 2021
2B Michael Busch 23 2019 draft (1st rd)
3B Kode Hoese 23 2019 draft (1st rd)
SS Jacob Amaya 22 2017 draft (11th rd)
IF Devin Mann 24 2018 draft (5th rd)
2B Clayton Daniel 26 trade (CHC), 2020
OF Romer Cuadrado 23 Int'l FA (2014)
OF Jeren Kendall 25 2017 draft (1st rd)
OF Donovan Casey 25 2017 draft (20th rd)
OF Carlos Rincon 23 Int'l FA (2015)
*age as of June 30, 2021 ^Alvarez, Boyle, Long are on injured list; Zabala is on developmental list