Josue De Paula makes MLB debut as Dodgers beat Marlins

MIAMI — Josue De Paula’s major league debut was never going to be judged by the box score alone.

The 21-year-old Dodgers prospect went 0-for-3 with a walk Friday night at LoanDepot Park, hardly the kind of debut that jumps off the page. But for a player who has spent years building toward this moment, the more meaningful signs came in the at-bats themselves.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) and left fielder Alex Call (12) hug before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.

De Paula showed the approach that helped make him one of the most intriguing young hitters in the Dodgers’ system, working deep counts, resisting pitches outside the zone and showing what he calls aggressive patience.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, continued their march toward October.

Behind another dominant outing from Blake Snell, a resurgent offensive performance from Kyle Tucker and a quiet but encouraging debut from De Paula, the Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Friday night for their 90th victory of the season.

It was their eighth consecutive win, their longest winning streak of the season.

With 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Dodgers moved to within 1½ games of the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the National League while maintaining an 11-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

For De Paula, though, the night was about getting his first taste of the major leagues.

And the first taste was promising.

In his first major league at-bat, De Paula fell behind in the count before working it full. He ultimately lifted a fly ball to right field, but the result mattered less than the process.

Then he did it again.

Two at-bats. Two full counts.

In his second plate appearance, De Paula once again refused to chase, eventually drawing his first career major league walk.

What followed was a strange ending to an otherwise impressive inning.

After De Paula reached first, the Marlins threw over twice. De Paula appeared to have second base stolen on the next pitch, but as he slid, he came off the bag and was tagged out. The play became a strikeout-caught-stealing double play to end the inning with the Dodgers leading 1-0 in the fourth.

The quality of De Paula’s first two at-bats, however, could not be overstated.

He saw the ball well. He took tantalizing pitches. He made the kind of swing decisions the Dodgers have been waiting to see against major league pitching.

For a 21-year-old making his debut, it was a strong start.

Dave Roberts said De Paula will serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter for all three games of the Miami series, giving the organization an extended look at one of its brightest young prospects.

De Paula’s fourth and final plate appearance came in the eighth inning, when he grounded out to first base on the third pitch he saw.

The line, 0-for-3 with a walk, was modest.

The process was anything but.

While De Paula took his first steps in the majors, Tucker continued to look increasingly like the hitter the Dodgers envisioned when they acquired him.

Tucker had his first back-to-back multi-hit games in more than a month, and he did damage in just about every way possible. He singled in the first inning, delivered a sacrifice fly in the third and then tripled in the fifth on a line drive to right field.

After Tucker’s triple, Will Smith followed with an RBI single to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.

Then came the swing that broke the game open.

The Marlins had trimmed the deficit to 2-1 when Tucker stepped to the plate in the seventh inning against left-hander Cade Gibson.

On the third pitch, Gibson threw a sweeper. Tucker crushed it.

The ball sailed over the right-field wall for a grand slam, turning a one-run game into a 6-1 Dodgers advantage. Tucker finished 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, a triple and four RBIs.

After a season in which inconsistency has interrupted his rhythm, Tucker appears to be finding it at precisely the right time.

And while Tucker supplied the fireworks, Snell supplied the foundation.

The left-hander turned in another dominant performance, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight over 5⅔ innings. He threw 101 pitches, 67 for strikes, before giving way to the Dodgers’ bullpen with two outs in the sixth.

The only run charged to Snell came after he exited.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park.

His final line: 5⅔ innings, four hits, two walks, one earned run and eight strikeouts.

The outing lowered his season ERA to 1.91 and marked his fourth victory of the season. More importantly, it continued what has been an extraordinary stretch since his return from the injured list on Aug. 11. Snell has a 1.04 ERA across six starts since returning.

The Dodgers will need performances like this as the postseason approaches.

They will also need Tucker’s bat.

And eventually, they may need something from De Paula.

Friday night did not provide a grand introduction for the young prospect. There was no first-hit celebration, no home run, no signature moment that will dominate highlight packages.