Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dodgers Rumors

Dodgers Select Darien Nunez

By | at

The Dodgers announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Darien Nunez and optioned right-hander Mitch White to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Their 40-man roster is now full.

Nunez, 28, signed with the Dodgers out of Cuba back in 2018 and has consistently posted solid numbers out of the bullpen as he’s risen through their system. He’s gotten his first experience at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2021, pitching to a combined 2.70 ERA with a 35.3 percent strikeout rate and a 12.6 percent walk rate in 30 innings. Obviously, the Dodgers will hope his control of the strike zone improves — he’s also hit a batter and tossed three wild pitches — but it’s a generally encouraging showing for the lefty.

Nunez has never ranked among the Dodgers’ best prospect, perhaps in part due to his age, but he’ll nevertheless get his first look at the MLB level. Since he’s only just been selected, he’ll be optionable for all of this year and each of the two subsequent seasons, which could make him an up-and-down bit of depth while he looks to establish himself. The Dodgers frequently turn over the edges of their pitching staff — as White, who has now been optioned five times in 2021 aloone, can attest. Nunez will now be part of that churn for the foreseeable future, and he’ll give manager Dave Roberts a third lefty alongside David Price and Garrett Cleavinger while Victor Gonzalez is on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis.

Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List With Forearm Inflammation

By | at

The Dodgers announced they’re placing ace Clayton Kershaw on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left forearm. Righty Mitch White has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his spot on the active roster.

No timeline has been placed on Kershaw’s return, but any injury to a pitcher’s forearm is obviously of some concern. It’s particularly alarming when that pitcher is a player of Kershaw’s caliber. While he’s no longer the best pitcher in the sport like he was at his peak, the three-time Cy Young Award winner remains a highly-effective hurler. Through 106 1/3 innings this season, Kershaw has worked to a 3.39 ERA with fantastic strikeout and walk rates (30.1% and 4.5%, respectively).

An IL stint for Kershaw only adds to the likelihood the Dodgers acquire some starting pitching depth in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. The reigning World Series champions are still amidst a three-way battle in the NL West. Los Angeles trails the Giants by half a game and sits three games up on the third-place Padres.

Getting Kershaw back for the stretch run is obviously of paramount importance for the organization as they look to defend their championship. It’s also pivotal for Kershaw personally, as he’s slated to hit free agency at the end of the season. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes slotted the 33-year-old southpaw ninth on his most recent free agent power rankings last month.

Dodgers Outright Yoshi Tsutsugo

By | at

The Dodgers have passed first baseman/corner outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo through outright waivers, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times was among those to relay. He’ll remain with the organization at Triple-A Oklahoma City but no longer occupies a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Rays originally signed Tsutsugo to a two-year, $12MM contract during the 2019-20 offseason after he’d put together a standout career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He never carried that success over with Tampa Bay, though, hitting just .187/.292/.336 across 272 plate appearances with the Rays. Tampa Bay designated him for assignment in mid-May, and the Dodgers acquired him for cash considerations or a player to be named later, assuming a little more than $430K of Tsutsugo’s contract in the process.

Tsutsugo only picked up 31 plate appearances with the Dodgers before landing on the injured list with a right calf strain. He’s been on a minor league rehab assignment after recovering from that injury, but the twenty-day period allotted for rehab assignments was set to expire. Los Angeles has since gotten back Cody Bellinger from his own IL stint, while Albert Pujols has been decent as a part-time first baseman and bench bat. That evidently left no room on the roster for Tsutsugo.

The 29-year-old will remain as hand as high minors depth. Should the need for a left-handed corner bat emerge in the next few months, the Dodgers could give Tsutsugo another look, but he’d need to again be selected to the 40-man roster.

Dodgers Designate Steven Souza Jr. For Assignment

By | at

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.

Dodgers, Neftali Feliz Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Dodgers have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran right-hander Neftali Feliz, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). The 33-year-old was cut loose after a pair of rough outings with the Phillies last month.

Feliz, the 2010 AL Rookie of the Year, has seen his once-promising career largely derailed by injuries, although he made a return to the Majors after a nearly four-year absence last month in Philadelphia. He’d dominated in Triple-A, earning that promotion to the bigs, but Feliz was immediately dropped into some high-leverage situations and surrendered the lead in both instances. The Phillies, trying for a second straight season to overcome a series of staggering bullpen struggles, designated Feliz for assignment as part of their ongoing reliever carousel.

It’s been years since we’ve seen Feliz at his best, although his recent work isn’t without its positive indicators. The right-hander’s fastball isn’t averaging 97.5 mph like it did when he was a rookie, but an average four-seam velo of 95.7 mph in his limited work with the Phils is nevertheless quite strong. Add in a 1.26 ERA and a 23-to-6 K/BB ratio in 14 1/3 frames with Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier this year, and at the very least, Feliz seems well worth a no-risk look.

Bullpen help figures to be one area that the Dodgers will address in the three-plus weeks leading up to the deadline, but bringing Feliz into the mix right now gives them an upside lottery ticket to evaluate down the stretch.

Dodgers Claim Bobby Wahl Off Waivers

By | at

2:15 PM: The Dodgers have claimed Wahl off waivers, per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times (via Twitter). To make room on the 40-man roster, they moved Corey Seager to the 60-day injured list. He will not, therefore, return to the team before July 15.

11:08 AM: As expected, the Brewers have selected the contract of Aaron Ashby to make his Major League debut in today’s game against the Cubs. Pablo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the active roster, and Bobby Wahl was designated for assignment, the team announced. The latter move was necessary to add Ashby to the 40-man roster.

Wahl, 29, will be exposed to waiver claim by any of the game’s other 29 teams. He made three appearances for the Brewers last season, but Wall has yet to appear in a game at the big-league level this season. He’s appeared in 13 games at Triple-A, however, struggling to a 9.58 ERA over that span. He has, at least, flashed some strikeout ability, striking out 18 over 10 1/3 innings. The Brewers acquired from the Mets in 2019 as part of the Keon Broxton trade.

As for Reyes, the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder has slashed .224/.240/.265 line in 50 plate appearances. The former Pirate has fared much better in 49 trips in Triple-A, with a triple slash line of .350/.449/.600. The Brewers will be down to a four-man bench for today, so Reyes could return shortly.

Nate Jones Elects Free Agency

By | at

Right-hander Nate Jones, who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers last week, has elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment, as first reflected on the Triple-A transactions log at MLB.com.

Jones, 35, has spent time with the Braves and the Dodgers this season but has yet to recapture the form that made him one of the game’s better setup men at his peak. He pitched to a 3.48 ERA in Atlanta but also yielded an untenable 10 walks in 10 1/3 innings before being cut loose. In L.A., Jones cleaned up the walks but surrendered four homers in 8 2/3 frames. Overall, he’s pitched to a 5.69  ERA with 14 punchouts against 12 walks in 19 innings this year.

From 2012-19, Jones logged a tidy 3.12 ERA with a hearty 26.5 percent strikeout rate against a 9.2 percent walk rate. That 26.5 percent strikeout clip is above average even by today’s standards, but Jones struck out nearly 30 percent of his opponents from 2013-17 at a time when the overall league strikeout rate was much lower than it is at present. Health issues plagued him throughout his time with the White Sox, but when he was healthy enough to take the mound, Jones was generally a high-end reliever.

Jones’ sinker still has plenty of life, averaging 95.6 mph according to Statcast, and his slider generated a 39.6 percent whiff rate. That’s down a bit from his peak, when the sinker sat around 98 mph and the slider induced whiffs at better than a 50 percent clip, but Jones is still throwing hard and still capable of generating swings and misses at a healthy clip. Between that and his generally strong track record, there should be interest from other clubs on a minor league pact.

Health Notes: Bregman, Belt, Seager, Knebel, d’Arnaud

By | at

The Astros placed star third baseman Alex Bregman on the injured list due to a left quad strain last week, although the timeline for his potential return was undefined. Manager Dusty Baker offered a little more clarity today, telling reporters (including Mark Berman of FOX 26) Bregman would be out for “two to three weeks or more.” With the All-Star break about three weeks away, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bregman doesn’t return until the season’s unofficial second half begins July 16. The Astros have primarily relied on Abraham Toro in recent days, winning all seven of their games since Bregman went down.

In other health situations around the league:

  • Giants first baseman Brandon Belt left this afternoon’s game against the Angels after stumbling while running the bases. He has an undisclosed right knee injury and will go for an MRI, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Belt has quietly been fantastic this season, hitting .253/.365/.518 with 11 home runs across 197 plate appearances. If he winds up requiring an injured list stint, it’d be a tough blow to a Giants club that currently holds a 3.5 game lead in the National League West.
  • Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided updates on a pair of injured players in a session with reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com and Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Shortstop Corey Seager, who has been out since May 15 with a fractured right hand, is still feeling some soreness that’s delaying his embarking on a potential rehab assignment. Seager’s injury called for him to miss at least a month, but it seems his progression is going a little slower than the team had initially hoped. Meanwhile, reliever Corey Knebel, who went down with a right lat strain in late April, is targeting a return to the big league club by the end of August.
  • Braves manager Brian Sntiker told reporters (including David O’Brien of the Athletic) that catcher Travis d’Arnaud is “right on track” in his recovery from a torn ligament in his right thumb. The team hopes he’ll make his return at some point in August. With d’Arnaud out, Atlanta has primarily turned to rookie William Contreras behind the dish. The 23-year-old has held his own, hitting .227/.306/.437 in 134 plate appearances.

Dodgers Activate Cody Bellinger

By | at

The Dodgers announced they’ve reinstated outfielder Cody Bellinger in advance of tonight’s game against the Padres. Infielder Andy Burns has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Bellinger, out since June 11 with left hamstring tightness, missed barely more than the minimal ten days on the IL this time around. It was his second stint of the year, as the former NL MVP missed the majority of April and May with a left calf issue. Between the IL stints, Bellinger has been fairly shaky, hitting .226/.324/.323 with just one home run in 71 plate appearances. Surely, the Dodgers anticipate the 25-year-old finding his past form at the plate with the benefit of better health.

Even with very few contributions from Bellinger, the Dodgers have gotten off to the second-best start in the National League (44-29). They’re three games back of the division-leading Giants, though. Back-to-back losses to the third-place Padres in the first two games of the series have brought San Diego within a game and a half of L.A. entering tonight’s contest.

Dodgers Activate Max Muncy

By | at

The Dodgers announced they’ve activated second baseman Max Muncy from the injured list before tonight’s game in San Diego. Outfielder Zach Reks was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move. Muncy is starting at second base against the Padres, hitting sixth in the order.

Muncy wound up sitting out a minimal ten days with a modest right oblique strain. The 30-year-old has been one of the best players in the league this season. He’s hitting .264/.418/.528 with 14 homers across 244 plate appearances. By measure of wRC+ (163), Muncy is tied with Nick Castellanos as the seventh-most productive qualified hitter. It’s his fourth consecutive season of high-end offensive play.

At 44-28, the Dodgers sit two games back of the Giants in a three-way race in the National League West. The 43-32 Friars are 2.5 games behind L.A., making this an important series between the pair of Southern California rivals. San Diego won the first game last night, 6-2.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top