The Dodgers announced Tuesday that they’ve designated veteran outfielder Steven Souza Jr. for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for right-handed reliever Jake Reed, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Souza, 32, joined the Dodgers on a minor league deal back in mid-April after he was unable to win a roster spot with the Astros in Spring Training. The Dodgers called the former Rays slugger to the big leagues last month after he posted a mammoth .279/.444/.603 batting line with six homers, four doubles and 16 walks in 90 Triple-A plate appearances. Souza has functioned as a seldom-used bench piece and pinch-hitter, however, tallying just 28 plate appearances in 13 games and posting a .160/.250/.360 batting line in that time.
The past few years have been a roller coaster for Souza, who missed much of the 2018 season with pectoral injuries before suffering a catastrophic knee injury during Spring Training with the D-backs in 2019. Souza suffered tears of the ACL, LCL, PCL and posterolateral capsule in his left knee during a play at the plate and missed the entire season recovering from the subsequent surgery. That he’s been able to return to the Majors at all after such a devastating injury is a testament to his determination, but he’s yet to get a legitimate look with either the Cubs (for whom he played last summer) or the Dodgers, who now have a week to trade Souza, place him on outright waivers, or release him.
For the 28-year-old Reed, this will mark his first call to the Majors after eight years in pro ball. The former Oregon Duck was a fifth-round pick by the Twins back in 2014 and long rated as one of the organization’s more promising bullpen prospects. He posted video-game numbers in the lower minors before beginning to stumble at the Double-A level, although after spending a few seasons both there and in Triple-A, Reed’s numbers began to come around. He never parlayed that into a big league appearance with the Twins, however, and he’s now split the 2021 season between both L.A. clubs after first signing with the Angels as a minor league free agent.
Since being released from that deal and signing with the Dodgers, Reed has pitched 10 1/3 innings in OKC, holding opponents to three runs on 12 hits and just one walk with 11 punchouts. In parts of five Triple-A seasons, he’s pitched to a 3.89 ERA with a solid 26.1 percent strikeout rate, a slightly elevated 9.8 percent walk rate and a 41.4 percent ground-ball rate in 185 innings of relief.
Jake Reed is apparently a faceless sprit with no physical being but does play the infield in college.
Ha, thanks. Auto-linker grabbed the wrong Jake Reed. It’s updated now.
The wrong link. He is 28 and is a reliver not in college.
What does this have to do with the ad for “Q” that I keep getting on here
Souza will be back. The Dodgers can’t go too long without a veteran trombone player.
That’s tuba be determined.
Nah he’s gone. Dodgers brass already gave him his marching orders.
Oboe, here we go again!
Surprised he woodwind up getting DFAd.
When they asked his agent how to contact him, he replied, “Euphonium.”
The peripherals looked ok but the harmonics just didn’t fit.
Thank you for Euphonium, that hit hard on 3 or 4 different valves over here! Cheers to another fun pun run!
He couldn’t even make the Astros roster in ST, they’re insanely deep.
He really phoned in his performance.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=reed–002jac
The Pirates should be in on him, they’ve tried everyone else. Has to be better than Rule 5 Kai Tom, and his sub .150 average.
Yeah, also since they’ll probably trade Reynolds and Frazier. Hope he gets an opportunity to play somewhere
Reynolds isn’t going anywhere this year
Souza can come back to DC to team with Trea Turner.
Nationals might need him if Schwarber is long term
Souza needs to land with an AL team so he can DH. My guess is Seattle.
DH? DH is for aging sluggers with no wheels or sluggers with no gloves. Souza can play D. All Souza needs is regular AB’s and some time to get comfortable. I believe he will eventually be a very nice pick up for anyone with the foresight…
Just curious as to what the chatter is amongst Dodger fans in regards to Trever Bauer.
They must have really liked Steven to hold on for soo long, I thought it was rather odd carrying the 5 bench bats for soo long when there was need for a fresh arm in the pen for awhile. Glad they just ripped the band-aid off today and said Good-bye
This Dodger team needs some length outta the pen by the deadline, a meh pitcher like Jose Urena would be nice as a spot starter/long Rp
Souza is not a good hitter vs major league arms
If you want a high batting average Souza isnt the guy. But he has had some pretty good pop before the injuries. Finally getting healthy, the power will follow for any team that can give him play time.
It’s been a banner year for Souza in terms of health. I don’t know that he’s ever gone this deep into a season without landing on the IL, so kudos for that.
I would take him over no hit Nomar Mazara.
So there isn’t a way for the Dodgers to assign the player (if) he clears waivers that he could be sent outright to the Minor Leagues?
Doubt he clears waivers, upside is big enough someone will likely (a) claim him off waivers, or (b) work a trade if they are afraid a team with higher priority will snap him off the wire.
If he gets past all that, he could accept an assignment if offered.
With his service time he’d have to agree
Souza for deGrom
Dodgers lose another tough one to a mediocre Marlins team. Sloppy defense and inconsistent bats has been a common theme for the Dodgers this year. A little bit concerned with Smith’s defense. The bat hasn’t been the same but still solid. You’d expect some mean reversion with the bat on a longer sample size but the defense is a bit worrying. He got bailed out in the 9th for letting the ball go right through his legs and then made the inexcusable late errant throw to 3rd base in the 10th. Walk offs on errors is ugly. Little league stuff. In general, this year he’s made more errors and the passed ball rate more than double previous years.
Smith didn’t start being a catcher until college and even when drafted he was always a work in progress defensively. That wasn’t that long ago. The bat is what has brought him here, he’s learning on the job