Overview
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ club, which placed Freddie Freeman on the paternity list Sunday, recalled Ryan Ward for his first MLB game and started him at first base batting seventh against the Rockies.
- Ward, 28, earned the call after winning 2025 Pacific Coast League MVP with 36 home runs and opening 2026 at Triple A with a 1.020 OPS, four homers, and a .324 average.
- Reports Saturday had Ward traveling on the taxi squad with the corresponding move unclear, and the team confirmed Sunday that Freeman’s paternity leave created the opening.
- The paternity list lets a player step away for family leave for up to three days, so Ward projects as short-term left-handed depth at first base or corner outfield given his strong numbers versus right-handers and limited defensive range.
- Roberts said he started Ward to reward his work, and teammate Dalton Rushing supported the switch, a nod to Ward’s seven-season climb through the minors and 154 career minor-league homers.