 Dowdy made his professional debut in 2016 with the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps, with whom he was named a Midwest League All-Star.He finished the year 10–3 with a 2.84 ERA in 23 games (16 starts).He spent 2017 with the Class A-Advanced Lakeland Flying Tigers, where he was named to the Florida State League All-Star team, pitching to an 8–12 record with a 3.83 ERA in 25 games (22 starts).