LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers lined up their 40-man roster for next month's Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday by protecting catcher Keibert Ruiz, right-handed pitchers Yadier Alvarez and Josh Sborz, and infielders Edwin Rios and Matt Beaty.
To make room, the club released right-handed pitcher Tom Koehler and designated for assignment right-handed pitcher Erik Goeddel, left-handed pitcher Zachary Rosscup and infielder/outfielder Tim Locastro. Koehler, Goeddel and Rosscup are arbitration eligible and out of options. The Dodgers' Major League roster stands at a full 40.
MLB Pipeline ranks Ruiz the No. 2 prospect in the system, Alvarez No. 10, Rios No. 13 and Beaty No. 21. Ranked players not protected were No. 19 Drew Jackson, No. 24 Cristian Santana and No. 29 Andrew Sopko.
Ruiz, 20, is the jewel of a deep corps of the Dodgers' catching prospects. At Double-A Tulsa this year, the switch-hitter batted .268 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 47 RBIs in 101 games and threw out 26 percent of would-be basestealers.
Alvarez, 22, is an immensely talented but mercurial righty who went 1-2 with a 4.66 ERA at Tulsa. He pitched only 55 1/3 innings this year with 44 walks.
The 24-year-old Rios posted a .304/.355/.482 slash line with 25 doubles, 10 homers and 55 RBIs at Triple-A Oklahoma City, playing the corner infield positions.
Beaty, 25, had a .277/.378/.406 slash line with 10 doubles, one home run and 12 RBIs in 31 games with Oklahoma City in 2018, also playing the corner infield spots. He missed the first month with an oblique injury and six weeks with a torn thumb ligament.
The 24-year-old Sborz split last season with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, combining to go 4-2 with six saves and posting a 3.88 ERA (23 ER/53.1 IP) in 46 relief appearances transitioning from the rotation.
Koehler missed the entire season after blowing out his throwing shoulder capsule in his second Spring Training outing and eventually underwent surgery. He was signed as a free agent last winter to replace set-up reliever Brandon Morrow.
Goeddel, who was claimed off waivers from Seattle on May 18, had a 3.38 ERA in 26 games, but missed the last six weeks of the season with an elbow injury.
Rosscup spent two stints on the disabled list after being claimed off waivers from Colorado on July 11. He had a 4.76 ERA in 17 games, but also struck out 20 in 11 1/3 innings.
Locastro appeared in 18 games for the Dodgers and hit .182 after spending most of the year at OKC.