The Dodgers added pitchers Jharel Cotton and Ross Stripling to their 40-man roster on Friday, the deadline to protect eligible minor-league players from the Rule 5 draft.
Had they not been added, Cotton and Stripling could have been selected by another team in the annual Rule 5 draft, which is Dec. 10 this year.
There are now 39 players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster.
Cotton, who turns 24 in January, saw time at four different levels in 2015. He was 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA for Double-A Tulsa before earning a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City in August, where he made five relief appearances and allowed four runs.
In four Arizona Fall League starts for the Glendale Desert Dogs, Cotton pitched 10 ⅔ innings with a 3.38 ERA.
Stripling had Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and didn’t return to the mound until June 14. He went on to make 13 starts for Double-A Tulsa, posting a 3.38 ERA in 67 ⅓ innings.
Neither pitcher is expected to play Winter baseball.