Dodger prospects could be surprisingly active come Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft, as there are two prospects drawing significant interest and two who might be plucked.

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Ben Badler of Baseball America has tweeted on more than one occasion in the last week that Jose Dominguez is seen as a potential Rule 5 draftee. Additionally, John Manuel wrote about him on Tuesday at Baseball America (subscription required).

Dominguez, 22, is facing a 25-game suspension after being busted last month for violating MLB‘s drug policy. He touched triple-digits in the minors this season and regularly sits in the high-90s.

Odds are the Dodgers left a flame-throwing reliever like this unprotected because of the drug suspension and the fact he threw just seven innings in Double-A this season after throwing 72 at Low-A Great Lakes.

Chance Of Selection: 60%

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Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports tweeted that Rafael Ynoa is generating interest as a possible selection.

Ynoa, 25, had a solid, yet unspectacular season at Double-A Chattanooga, posting a .278/.364/.352 triple-slash after drawing a career-high 58 walks. He profiles as a utility player, but his strength lies in the middle infield. Ynoa split time evenly between second base and shortstop this season. He also had a good Arizona Fall League, leading the Mesa Solar Sox in batting.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a team drafted Ynoa on Thursday. Despite having a limited ceiling, there is at least some value in his game.

Chance Of Selection: 40%

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Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com listed his top Rule 5 Draft prospects to watch and neither Dominguez nor Ynoa made the cut. However, Jarret Martin and Blake Smith did.

I hadn’t given Martin, 23, much thought — and I still don’t. He was acquired last winter along with Tyler Henson from Baltimore for Dana Eveland. He threw just 3 2/3 innings at High-A Rancho Cucamonga — his highest level of the minors.

Martin, who Mayo ranked 11th, has a good fastball that sits in the low-90s as a starter and can touch 95 MPH. He also has a slider. However, control issues have hindered him, as his 5.8 walks per nine innings would indicate.

Chance Of Selection: 10%

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Finally, Smith (one of my boys), is more appealing than I may have first thought. Mayo ranked him as the 18th-best prospect available.

Smith, 24, had a decent season with the Lookouts, hitting 13 home runs and posting a 12.1 percent walk rate — a career-high. Smith has good power potential, plays a good right field, and has a cannon for a right arm. All those skills are enticing. Last season was his first in Double-A, so I’m not sure just how attractive he is to other teams.

Chance Of Selection: 20%

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As for the Dodgers, I don’t really see them taking anyone. After all, part of the reason some of these guys are available to begin with is their 40-man roster crunch. On the other side though, odds are good that they end up losing a guy or two on this list to the draft.

Should be interesting to follow.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

The Arizona Fall League wrapped up this week with the Mesa Solar Sox — the team with eight Dodger prospects — finishing in last place with a 10-20 record. Now, it wasn’t all the Dodger prospects fault, but there were some, shall we say, not-so-great performances from some of the fellas.

I’m going to keep my eye on the Puerto Rican Winter League now, as Yasiel Puig made his debut there on Saturday night. It’ll be nice to see him get some playing time after being forced to miss the AFL with a staph infection.

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Arizona Fall League

Gorman Erickson – C
14 G, .268/.400/.341/.741, 3 2B, 9 BB

Erickson played better in two weeks worth of games in the AFL than he did at Chattanooga this season. But despite playing better, his power was still absent. While the big switch-hitting catcher looks like a power hitter, he’s anything but. His on-base percentage trumped his slugging percentage, which better suits a leadoff hitter. Still, a .400 OBP is nice.

Joc Pederson – OF
15 G, .096/.161/.154/.315, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB

Atrocious. There is no better word to describe Pederson’s AFL experience. While 15 games is hardly anything to be concerned about, an .096 average will get negative attention. Despite the poor performance, Pederson is still a top five prospect in the organization.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B/SS
27 G, .330/.374/.515/.889, 10 XBH, 7 SB

Ynoa was the Dodgers’ offensive standout in Mesa this season. He led the club in batting average, RBI (20), hits (32) and triples (four). He was second in stolen bases and slugging percentage (to George Springer, .600). Ynoa is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and after a strong AFL campaign, a team could take a chance on him. Then again, he is 25 and has utility player upside (at best). With the 40-man roster pretty full, I’d expect him to be unprotected.

Eric Eadington – LHP
12.1 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 10.9 K/9

Eadington finished his AFL season on a strong note. Despite a high ERA and WHIP, his K/9 was impressive. His 15 strikeouts were tied for third-best on the club, and as a lefty who can touch 95 MPH on the gun, he potentially has a future in a big league pen.

Onelki Garcia – LHP
4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.5 K/9

Garcia finally made his AFL debut. He threw just four innings and has a total of four professional appearances under his belt. Still, I like his potential as a starter. He needs to establish a third pitch to remain a starter going forward though.

Red Patterson – RHP
11.2 IP. 5.40 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 3.1 K/9

Patterson, who had a 9.1 K/9 with the Lookouts this season, managed just a 3.1 strikeout rate in the AFL. That might have been the most disappointing part of his season. The 25-year-old is a favorite of mine, but he doesn’t profile as much more than a middle reliever.

Chris Reed – LHP
10 IP, 7.20 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Reed pitched exclusively as a reliever in the AFL and he didn’t pitch that well. He was a late addition to replace Paco Rodriguez, so that has to be taken into consideration. I’ve never been as high on him as most, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by his performance.

Andres Santiago – RHP
19.2 IP, 6.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 8.2 K/9

Santiago relieved Garcia in his final two outings, but made four starts for Mesa. He was up and down, but I like his potential. A full season at Double-A in 2013 will show whether he has a future as a starter or reliever.

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Dominican Winter League

Brian Cavazos-Galvez is 3-for-17 (.176). Looks like his Southern League numbers.

Tim Federowicz is 6-for-36 (.189) with a 1/17 BB/K rate. Ouch, again.

Dee Gordon is 28-for-88 (.318) with six triples in his 23 DWL games. He’s improved his walk rate since the last update (seven in 88 ABs).

Luis Vazquez has walked seven batters in 7.2 innings. He’s also struck out seven.

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Venezuelan Winter League

Alex Castellanos is 26-for-82 (.317) with four home runs and 18 RBI.

Luis Nunez is 26-for-111 (.234) with a home run, six doubles, and 12 runs scored.

Scott Van Slyke is 21-for-91 (.231) with seven home runs and 14 RBI.

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Mexican Winter League

J.T. Wise has not played since the last update.

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Puerto Rican Winter League

Freddie Cabrera has struck out three, walked two and given up seven hits and two runs in six innings.

Jarret Martin has appeared in two games so far. In 1 2/3 innings, he’s given up three runs and three walks. He’s also struck out three.

Yasiel Puig made his winter debut on Saturday night by going 2-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, and two strikeouts. He went 0-for-3 in his second game.

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Dustin Nosler is the founder of the site Feelin’ Kinda Blue. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast Dugout Blues. Follow him on Twitter @FeelinKindaBlue or like his site on Facebook.

Photo Credit: Hans Gutknecht of the Los Angeles Daily News.

I had the opportunity to speak with Onelki Garcia before his Nov. 8 Arizona Fall League game, a conversation that was translated by Rodney Linares, manager of the Mesa Solar Sox and a manager in the Houston Astros system.

Edited for sanity, because nobody wants to read “uh” and “um” and laughs and transitions and crap.

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After all the hardships he’s gone through to get to where he is now, has it affected the way he looks at or plays baseball?

“He said he feels really good even though he’s been through a lot, and that he’s happy and he’s a little impressed with the amount of talent of the players he’s playing with right now, but he’s learning and getting a lot of experience and he says he’s thankful for the opportunity.”

After the extended layoff and his oblique injury, does he have any concerns about durability or rust going into the 2013 season?

“He says that after he had the oblique he had a little bit of a bicep issue, but that he doesn’t envision that it’ll be anything that hampers him for next year. He’s been here in Arizona with the Dodgers and he’s been here working out. He says he still feels it a bit after pitching but he doesn’t envision it being a big problem for next year. He’s ready and happy to be here.”

He still feels the bicep or the oblique?

“Yeah, the bicep, he says he still feels it after he pitches, a little bit, but not before he pitches.”

Can he describe what pitches he throws?

“He says he has a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, sinker, a curve, which he uses a lot, and his change-up is developing. He says he doesn’t use it a lot but it’s coming along.”

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Short but informative, as I previously had no idea that he threw all those pitches. Perhaps most importantly though, people were unable to confirm previously why he wasn’t throwing in the AFL, but it turns out that he had both an oblique and bicep injury.

Overall, he seems like a good guy and is just genuinely excited to get back on the field. Also, Rodney Linares is awesome.

The Dodgers sent eight players to the Arizona Fall League this season to play for the Mesa Solar Sox. Only Onelki Garcia has yet to appear in a game. I’m hoping he gets in soon because he only threw in two minor-league games this season. We all know about Yasiel Puig suffering the staph infection, which caused him to miss the league.

Position Players

Gorman Erickson – C
3-for-10 (.300), 1 run, 3 strikeouts

Erickson, who struggled last year in the AFL (.213/.279/.361), is sharing catching duties with two other prospects, hence the limited number of at-bats. He’s coming off a disappointing 2012 campaign, so a chance to re-establish himself in the league is needed.

Joc Pederson – OF
0-for-15, 1 run, 2 BB, 3 K

Pederson, one of the youngest players in the league, has struggled (obviously). Whether it’s fatigue or him just being overmatched, Pederson just hasn’t been able to get on track thus far. He’ll face similar talent in the Southern League in 2013, so it’d be nice to see him get it going.

Rafael Ynoa – 2B
7-for-17 (.412), HR, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB

Ynoa has been an offensive star among the Dodger talent in Arizona, leading the Solar Sox in batting through the first seven games. He also clubbed a home run, something he didn’t do in 421 Southern League at-bats in 2012.

Pitchers

Eric Eadington – LHP
3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Eadington gave up two runs in his first outing — both on solo home runs — but has been lights out since. This is a good test for the 24-year-old, who should begin 2013 with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Red Patterson – RHP
3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Patterson has been nearly perfect in his first few AFL outings. He could see some time in Albuquerque next year with a potential call-up to the majors waiting in the wings.

Chris Reed – LHP
2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Reed, who picked up a victory in his second AFL outing, was absolutely rocked in his third appearance to the tune of five hits and five runs without recording an out. What’s disturbing is it took just 17 pitches (10 strikes) to accumulate the damage. Reed replaced Paco Rodriguez on the roster.

Andres Santiago – RHP
3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Santiago didn’t receive any help from his defense in his lone AFL start, hence the three unearned runs. He recovered nicely to strike out three batters in his next two innings though. This is a good test for the 22-year-old, who made a name for himself this season.

Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Gorman Erickson, Steven Rodriguez, Red Patterson, Rafael Ynoa, and Eric Eadington have been named to the roster of the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League, according to the Dodgers official site.

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Yasiel Puig, the much hyped outfielder signed out of Cuba, has a .372/.462/.667/1.128 combined line from Rookie and High A ball. Given that he’s already being paid like an MLB starting outfielder, scouts will want to see him tested against the advanced pitching of the AFL, and he’ll likely be closely scrutinized by everybody.

Outfielder Joc Pederson is having a breakout year at High A. He was my top positional prospect in rankings before the season, but I didn’t expect the power to come this soon. It’s the California League, yes, but a .315/.396/.517/.913 line as a 20-year-old is still impressive.

Gorman Erickson, a catcher, is having a rough go of it at AA this year. I liked his patience/power potential at a premium position, but while the patience has maintained, his power has disappeared. He has a .236/.349/.333/.683 line on the year and will look to right himself in the AFL.

Steven Rodriguez, the 2012 second-round pick, is already making a hell of a splash. Between A and AA levels, he has a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings with 31 strikeouts and 6 walks as a 21-year-old lefty reliever. He could help the Dodgers and soon.

Pitcher Red Patterson has been a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen for a 2010 late-round pick, and he’s putting up a 3.03 ERA in 68.1 innings with 68 strikeouts and 30 walks at AA. Yet another bullpen arm with the potential to help sooner than later, especially since he’s already 25.

I’ve been following Rafael Ynoa’s progress ever since his time in the Dominican Summer League, and while I’ve always loved his on-base skills, I never thought he would be able to get it done against advanced pitching. Yet he has produced a .280/.364/.351/.715 line at AA. Still probably not an MLB caliber player, but maybe organizational depth or a utility role.

Eric Eadington went undrafted in 2011 and he’s going to the AFL in 2012, which says a lot about the work he’s done so far. Yes, he’s already in his age 24 season, but he’s already passed so many other prospects, especially with his performance outside of Rookie-ball. Between A, A+, and AA this year, he has posted a 3.44 ERA in 65.1 innings with 75 strikeouts and 19 walks. After struggling a bit at AA, he’ll look to prove he’s somebody to watch for the Dodgers bullpen.

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The primary draws for Dodgers fans will obviously be Puig and Pederson, but I’m very interested to see Rodriguez against AFL competition and whether Erickson can right himself.