MIAMI –– Josue De Paula had to seek clarification.

On Wednesday night, after finishing another big performance with double-A Tulsa, the 21-year-old top Dodgers prospect was informed by his affiliate manager, Eric Wedge, that he was getting called up.

De Paula’s first question: To triple-A … or the majors?

“Literally, I was like, ‘What? Going up where?’” De Paula recounted a laugh. “He’s like, ‘You’re going with the big dogs.’”

From double-A, straight to the major leagues.

“No way,” De Paula thought.

Two days later, De Paula’s head was still spinning as he prepared for his MLB debut on Friday, getting the start as the Dodgers’ designated hitter — in place of the injured Shohei Ohtani — in their series opener against the Miami Marlins.

“I always had it in the back of my mind that it could happen [this year],” De Paula said. “But when it did happen, I wasn’t really expecting it because we only had four games to go in the season. So I was thinking four days, playoffs, then home.”

His new reality was a happy change of plans.

“To be honest, no,” he joked when asked if he even considered being called up straight from double-A a possibility. “It took me off guard. But when it happened, I was so happy.”

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The reason De Paula was at loanDepot Park on Friday, of course, was because of who else wasn’t.

Before the game, Ohtani was officially placed on the injured list with what the team termed right biceps inflammation. His IL stint was backdated to Tuesday, which means he won’t be eligible to return until Sept. 23.

In the meantime, De Paula will figure to get regular looks in the DH spot, beginning with three-consecutive scheduled starts against the Marlins this weekend.

“[I want to show them] just what I’m about,” De Paula said of his unexpected opportunity. “Nothing I feel I really have to change, especially on the offensive side. Just do what I know how to do. At the end of the day, I love competing.”

Starting Friday night, he will do so in the big leagues for the first time.