De Leon, acquired as part of the Jan. 23 trade that sent Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers, is likely to start the season in Triple-A Durham before a move to the big league club, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.
De Leon is highly thought of but is unlikely to remain with the big league squad at the end of the exhibition slate, given the crowded nature of the pitching staff entering spring training. Naturally, injuries or personnel moves could alter the current make-up, but assuming no major upheaval, the 24-year-old righty is likely to start the season a step below the major league level. De Leon saw his first action in the majors last season, generating a 2-0 record, 6.35 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 17.0 innings in Los Angeles.