The Dodgers have claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the Blue Jays, per Dodger Blue. Right-hander Julian Fernández has been designated for assignment as the corresponding 40-man move. Toronto designated Kennedy for assignment last week. Manager Dave Roberts says that Kennedy will jump right onto the active roster as third baseman Max Muncy goes on the 10-day injured list due to a grade 1 oblique strain, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
Muncy was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to right side soreness. The club was off yesterday and it seems further testing has determined that he needs at least a bit of a breather. It’s not clear exactly how long that breather will be. “I don’t think anybody expects it to be season-ending, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later,” Roberts said, per Alden González of ESPN.
It’s an unfortunate development for the Dodgers. It’s been a real up-and-down season for Muncy but he’s been in good form lately. He started the year ice cold, slashing .190/.313/.286 through May 12th. Since then, he’s been red hot, hitting .314/.447/.660. That heater was interrupted by a monthlong stint on the IL due to a bone bruise in his left knee but that didn’t slow down his production. He came off the IL a little over a week ago and produced a .348/.531/.870 line in eight games between IL stints.
Despite Muncy’s production, the Dodgers have been in a bit of a skid lately. They went 10-14 in July and are 5-7 so far in August. Meanwhile, the Padres have gone on a tear and have taken over the lead in the American League West. The two clubs start a series against each other in Los Angeles tonight. Losing one of their hottest hitters is obviously less than ideal for the Dodgers as they move into the stretch run. Ideally, Muncy can return fairly quickly but oblique injuries are notoriously difficult.
It’s also not great when considering the club’s larger infield picture. Enrique Hernández, Tommy Edman and Hyeseong Kim are also on the IL, leaving the club a bit thin in that department. Alex Freeland will likely step in as the regular third baseman with Miguel Rojas taking over the keystone. The only healthy position player on the 40-man roster who is on optional assignment is outfielder Esteury Ruiz.
Claiming Kennedy gives the Dodgers a bench infielder, something they would have otherwise lacked. The 26-year-old has plenty of intriguing numbers in the minors but hasn’t yet clicked in the majors. That has led to him exhausting his options, which has pushed him into journeyman territory. Over the past few years, he has suited up for the Diamondbacks, Tigers, Phillies and Blue Jays. He has stepped to the plate 163 times scattered over the four most recent seasons but with just a .193/.288/.300 line to show for it.
As mentioned, his minor league work has been better. Dating back to the start of 2023, he has 1,262 Triple-A plate appearances. His 13.9% walk rate and 17.1% strikeout rate in that time are both solid figures. He produced a combined .284/.395/.443 line and 116 wRC+ over that span while playing all four infield spots and a bit of left field as well. Since he’s out of options, he may only hold his roster spot for as long as it takes for someone else to come off the IL. But he was out there on the wire when they needed an infielder, so he’ll get a shot with the Dodgers now.
Fernández, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. He was selected to the 40-man roster on July 7th. He pitched two innings that day, allowing two earned runs, and was optioned back down to Triple-A the next day.
His major league track record is still limited, as he had just six appearances prior to his one with the Dodgers this year, but he’s been in good form in Triple-A this season. He has tossed 41 1/3 innings with the Oklahoma City Comets, pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, with a 3.05 earned run average, 8.8% walk rate and 28.7% strikeout rate.
With the trade deadline having passed, Fernández will end up on waivers. He can still be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season. Given his numbers this year and the fact that he can be stashed in the minors, it’s possible he gets claimed in the coming week by a club in search of extra bullpen depth.
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
There goes LA’s division hopes.
Dodgers aren’t a strong team when Muncy is not in the lineup, and Buddy Kennedy hasn’t done much in Philly or Toronto.
Over-react much?
Yeah, Muncy is the engine that powers the Dodger machine. /s
50-30 when Muncy starts.
19-23 when he doesn’t.
Too small a sample size to draw a lot of conclusions, but they are a much better team when he plays.
“There goes LA’s division”…Exactly. Max Muncy is the main reason the Dodgers have won 10 of the last eleven NL West titles. Max missed a lot of time the year the Giants won the division.
In fact, it was Max Muncy who led the turnaround of the Dodgers 13 years back, not the Guggenheim LLC Partnership.
Even though Max Muncy is the 26th highest paid player on the team, the owners know he is the foundation and driving force of everything the Dodgers do.
More like 12 out of 13. The year they did not win had 106W.
At least in the American League West.
Hey Lil’ Buddy
Bad luck for Padres and Dodgers before the opener.
as luck would have it, both teams have it (the lack of it)
If your opinion mattered I’d be worried.
trolls like you are a dime a dozen
Do they really cost that much these days?
From a chick that is boycotting a person that can’t spell the person they’re boycotting correctly?
Instead of calling up Ryan Ward with power and some speed and hitting skills. They claim some bum with no power and no hits
Buddy wasn’t with Detroit all that long last year but he did show he has some power and can hit. I remember he made a really good bare hand play at 3rd base in a very important game. Hasn’t had much opportunity to show what he can do with a bat yet
They need a backup infielder. Ward doesnt have those skills.
Ward can play outfield to replace Conforto
Put Freeland at 3rd to cover Muncy
Ryan Ward can’t play the infield. Guys sitting in AAA OKC for the Dodgers like Nick Senzel, Austin Gauthier, Kody Hoese and Noah Miller can but they’d probably stink it up just as much as Buddy Kennedy will during his cup of coffee.
Ward isn’t much of an outfielder either. And, power aside, he strikes out at faster rate than Teo and Ohtani.
“The Padres have taken over the lead in the American League West”
Man, they have really stepped it up to lead two divisions!
I think MLB.DailyInjuredDodgers.com could be a thing.
american league west? lol
You’d think a solid proof read would catch that
The most unlucky team in the league. We can never catch a break.
Being a Dodgers fan is so unfair sometimes.
If the Dodgers are gonna go dumpster diving, at least wait until Urshela clears waivers.
This one hurts. We’ll just have to chug along…
Muncy the key to the Dodgers? I think if I’m not wrong they have someone that contributes somewhat in Ohtani.
Geo urshela come on down
@Boycott which MLB team is composed of amateurs not being paid??
Muncy should lose a little weight.
Why?
Muncy’s probably the most unlikable player in MLB. Total diva.
NC
Ok. Here’s some of the attention that you crave
Muncy injured AGAIN? Good lord.
To be fair, he’s twice as likely to be injured now since there are two of him
Injuries seem to be common with the name Max Muncy
There’s a not-zero% it’s season ending – Dave Roberts
I wonder why not given the opportunity to Nick Senzel