LOS ANGELES -- Scott Schebler was buried beneath six other outfielders on the organizational depth chart at the end of last season, but a blockbuster winter trade by the Los Angeles Dodgers and injuries to three others this spring have opened the door for Schebler to make his MLB debut Friday night against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Schebler, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will start in left field and bat seventh in the second game of the four-game series against the Cardinals, a team Schebler grew up rooting for.

A 26th-round pick of the Dodgers out of Des Moines Area Junior College in 2010, Schebler saw his stock rise considerably in 2013 and 2014. He hit .296 and clubbed 27 home runs for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga two years ago and produced 28 homers while batting .280 at the Double-A level in 2014.

In 49 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Schebler has seven home runs but was hitting .216.

The Dodgers’ outfield depth chart at the end of last season had Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and Joc Pederson ahead of Schebler, but Kemp was traded to the San Diego Padres in December, Puig (left hamstring) and Crawford (torn oblique) have been sidelined since late April and Van Slyke went on the 15-day DL earlier this week with mid-back inflammation.

Schebler, who will become the 20th position player used by the Dodgers this season, also provides overall depth as second baseman Howie Kendrick missed Thursday’s loss to the Cardinals with a bothersome knee and is not in the starting lineup again Friday, though he’s available to come off the bench.

To make room for Schebler, the Dodgers optioned left-hander Daniel Coulombe to Oklahoma City.