With the amount of injuries that take place over the course of the major league baseball season, call-ups are inevitable. In fact, they happen practically everyday. That includes minor league journeymen, major leaguers on rehab assignments, and of course, the coveted top prospect. Pitchers seem to have a knack for going down easier than a position player and that’s mainly because it is hard to pitch through an injury. Most of the time when pitchers go down, a standout prospect isn’t going to be the one to get the call.

Instead, it is usually players that making a living bouncing between the majors and minors, a post-hype prospect, or a guy that’s been stuck in the minors forever and hasn’t been given an opportunity. Here are several pitchers at the minor league level that could see a major league rotation in the coming days or weeks.

Henry Owens, Pawtucket Red Sox (Boston)

The Red Sox lost Joe Kelly on Tuesday to a shoulder injury and will now have an open spot in their rotation for the foreseeable future. Though no official move has been made, it seems very likely that Owens will occupy that spot given his success so far at Triple-A this season. Owens has been flat-out dominate over his first three starts, posting a 1.00 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. A glaring negative to Owens’ numbers is that he has walked 10 this season, but his pure stuff has been able to limit the damage. The 23-year-old lefty was a top prospect in Boston’s system for three straight years before struggling in the big leagues last season. He should be added in all AL-Only leagues now with strong consideration being given in deep mixed leagues. He has the ability to provide a strikeout per inning and solid ratio if given the opportunity.

Austin Pruitt, Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay)

Pruitt has been absolutely lights out for the Bulls over his first two starts. He’s struck out a whopping 23 batters over his first 13 innings good for a 15.2 K/9. This is uncharacteristic of Pruitt considering he’s averaged a 6.7 K/9 over the last two seasons. He has always pitched to contact as evident by his career BB/9 rate of 1.8. It is possible that Pruitt has made some type of adjustment to garner more strikeouts and if that’s the case, this could be a huge deal. Pruitt is going to go under the radar, but his minor league numbers have always been stellar. He’s not currently on Tampa’s 40-man roster, but if these results continue, he will crack the Rays’ rotation. Stash him away in AL-Only leagues.

Josh Smith, Louisville Bats (Cincinnati)

Though he’s been part of the Reds’ organization since 2010, he’s only made nine appearances (seven starts) at the big league level, all of which came last year. He’s not a guy that throws all that hard and mostly relies on throwing offspeed stuff to get hitters out. Smith has started off well at Triple-A by giving up just one unearned run over his first two starts (11 innings). The Reds are dealing with several injuries in their rotation right now. Smith would likely get an opportunity down the line, as there are certainly much purer prospects ahead of him on the depth chart. With that said, results will speak for themselves. If Smith continues to pitch well, he’s going to get a shot.

Nate Smith, Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels)

Over his first three starts at Triple-A Salt Lake, Smith has been rather impressive, posting a 2.04 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched. He made seven starts at Triple-A last year, but didn’t adjust well after being promoted from Double-A and had a 7.75 ERA over 35 innings. Though Smith doesn’t fit the bill as a typical prospect, he is only 24 years old and will be under watchful eyes within the organization if he’s able to continue his early success going forward. There is no need to add him in any format at the moment, but keep his name at the back of your mind.

Recent Call-ups

Jemile Weeks, Padres – The Padres placed Cory Spangenberg on the disabled list with a strain quad and called Weeks up from Triple-A El Paso. He can be added in NL-Only leagues, as he is very likely to start a few times per week. If nothing else, he’ll steal some bases.

Andrew Bailey, Phillies – The Phillies’ bullpen is sporting an atrocious 6.14 ERA and the team decided to give Bailey a shot. He did well at Triple-A Reading, pitching five innings with 10 strikeouts. It appears as though Jeanmar Gomez has a grasp on the closer’s role, but if he falters, Bailey will surely get an opportunity.

Erik Johnson, White Sox – Johnson was once a top prospect in Chicago’s system, but struggles in 2014 caused his stock to drop to the ground level. He’s made two starts for Triple-A Charlotte this season with mediocre results. While he’s struck out 12 batters in 10.2 innings, he’s also given up five earned runs leaving him with a 4.22 ERA. The White Sox are going to use him out of the bullpen through the weekend, but he is a candidate to start at some point in the future.