Davey Johnson Passes Away
Longtime Major League manager and infielder Davey Johnson passed away on Friday at age 82. A four-time All-Star during his 13-year playing career, Johnson went on to manage five different teams over 17 seasons as a manager, capturing a World Series with the Mets in 1986.
Breaking into the majors with the Orioles in 1965, he emerged as Baltimore’s everyday second baseman the following year, and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Johnson also won his first World Series ring that same season, adding a second with the Orioles in 1970. Such superstar teammates as Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer drew most of the headlines during this golden age of Orioles baseball, but Johnson provided excellent glovework (three Gold Gloves) and above-average offense while locking down the keystone.
Johnson delivered one more All-Star season with the Braves in 1973, hitting 43 home runs in what stood as the single-season record for a second baseman until Marcus Semien went yard 45 times with the 2021 Blue Jays. Johnson’s production then declined in 1974, and he spent the 1975-76 playing in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. It was something of a tumultuous two-year run that saw Johnson fight through some injuries to ultimately help the Giants reach the 1976 Japan Series, and Johnson then returned to the majors for his final two MLB seasons with the Phillies and Cubs in 1977-78.
Regarded as a future manager even early in his career, Johnson indeed turned to minor league managing almost immediately after retiring as a player, and started managing in the Mets’ farm system beginning in 1981. This led to a promotion as the Mets’ big league skipper in 1984, and Johnson immediately led New York to a string of five straight seasons with at least 90 wins. This excellent run included a pair of NL East titles in 1986 and 1988, highlighted by the 108-win team in 1986 that remains the most recent Mets club to capture a World Series title.
Things eventually soured between Johnson and Mets GM Frank Cashen, leading to Johnson’s firing in 1990. This essentially set the tone for the rest of Johnson’s managerial career — he would lead a team to success, yet would be dismissed relatively quickly due to clashes with ownership or upper management. Johnson’s next four stints as a skipper saw him never stay with a team for longer than three seasons, even though Johnson had a sub-.500 record in just one of his eight final full seasons as a manager.
For instance, Johnson’s feud with infamous former Reds owner Marge Schott saw Johnson dismissed after the 1995 season, even though he led Cincinnati to the NL Central title and a NLDS victory over the Dodgers that remains the Reds’ most recent postseason series win. Johnson then returned to his old stomping grounds and led the Orioles to postseason appearances in both 1996 and 1997, but even winning AL Manager of the Year honors in 1997 didn’t smooth over a dispute between Johnson and O’s owner Peter Angelos.
Johnson managed the Dodgers to a 163-161 record in 1999-2000, marking the only time Johnson didn’t lead a team to at least one postseason berth as a manager. He spent much of the next decade managing in international baseball, while also working for the Nationals in a consulting role (beginning in 2006) that paved the way for his final managerial job in 2011, when Johnson took over as interim skipper following Jim Riggleman’s resignation. Johnson was made the full-time skipper following that initial year in Washington, and won NL Manager of the Year honors for leading the Nats to their first NL East crown in 2012. Johnson was 70 years old during his final season in Washington, however, and the Lerner family didn’t view him as a long-term manager, so Johnson retired after an 86-win season in 2013.
Known for his brash personality, Johnson’s outspoken ways may have hurt him in terms of keeping steady employment, yet it certainly aided his ability to manage a clubhouse. Johnson was viewed as being somewhat ahead of his time in terms of running a team, being one of the first skippers to use some analytics to help in formulating his game plans. A mathematics major during his college days, Johnson’s reputation for using analytics to gain an edge on the field earned him the ironic nickname of “Dum-Dum” from his Orioles teammates.
Johnson’s career managerial record was 1372-1071 over parts of 17 seasons. His resume as a player includes 136 homers and a .261/.340/.404 slash line over 1435 games and 5465 plate appearances during his 13 MLB seasons, good for a 112 wRC+. Though Johnson has fallen short of Hall of Fame induction on multiple veterans’ committee ballots, his overall body of work in baseball would certainly seem worthy of Cooperstown, and it can be argued that Johnson could deserve a HOF nod based on his managerial work alone.
We at MLB Trade Rumors express our condolences to Johnson’s family, friends, and peers.
Dodgers Place Dalton Rushing On 10-Day Injured List
The Dodgers placed catcher Dalton Rushing on the 10-day injured list this evening due to a right shin contusion, per a team announcement. Rushing’s spot on the active roster will go to catcher Chuckie Robinson, who the Dodgers have selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Robinson will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Matt Sauer, who was designated for assignment.
Rushing, 24, appeared likely to get some runway behind the plate with L.A. while Will Smith is out of commission due to a bone bruise in his throwing hand. After Rushing fouled a ball of his leg earlier this week, he too found himself sidelined. Rushing told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) earlier today that a CT scan revealed that he had avoided a fracture in his shin, but is still suffering from a deep bone bruise. While Smith’s bone bruise is something the club has felt they could avoid placing him on the IL over, that did not end up being the case for Rushing, who will now head to the IL for at least the next ten days. Depending on the severity of the bruise, he could of course be sidelined for much longer than that.
While losing Rushing from the roster would be unfortunate, it’s not the massive blow that losing a top prospect might normally be expected to be. The 2022 second-rounder hasn’t hit much in his first taste of the majors this year, with a lackluster .190/.254/.298 (54 wRC+) slash line across 45 games. That poor performance has come with a massive 38.8% strikeout rate, though it of course must be acknowledged that taking to the majors is easier said than done for any rookie, much less one stepping into a backup catcher role that has afforded Rushing only 134 plate appearances across his first three-and-a-half months in the majors.
Regardless of Rushing’s results, however, the injury only serves to compound the issues L.A. is facing behind the plate with Smith not presently available. Ben Rortvedt was called up to serve as a third catcher on the roster while Smith is unavailable, and he’ll now step into regular catching duties for the short-term, with Robinson now poised to be his backup. Rortvedt’s .092/181/.108 slash line in the majors between the Rays and Dodgers this year is nothing to write home about, but he was a passable (87 wRC+) hitter while working behind the plate for the Rays last year thanks to a solid 10.7% walk rate. That’s more success than Robinson has had in the majors, offensively speaking. Robinson has 51 games in the big leagues to his name and in that time has hit just .132/.170/.194 with a career wRC+ of -3, meaning he’s 103% worse than a league average hitter.
Now in his age-30 season, Robinson’s value comes entirely from his ability as a quality defender behind the plate, and with Rortvedt’s own strong resume in that regard the Dodgers should have a solid defensive tandem at catcher even if the duo won’t offer much of anything in terms of offense. L.A.’s bats have been slumping, and their 193 runs scored is a bottom-ten figure since the All-Star break. Smith’s 154 wRC+ exiting the lineup for the time being is the most significant loss, of course, but downgrading from Rushing’s below-average numbers to the pitcher-level offensive production offered by Rortvedt and Robinson surely won’t help matters either. It’s hard to say for sure which of Robinson and Rortvedt will stick around on the roster once Smith is fully healthy and can resume primary catching duties, and perhaps if one or the other shows signs offensively over the next few days that could be a deciding factor.
As for Sauer, the right-hander made his big league debut with the Royals last year but struggled to a 7.71 ERA in 14 appearances. Now with the Dodgers, he’s pitched 29 2/3 innings of work in ten games at the big league level but has struggled to a 6.32 ERA in that time despite solid enough peripheral numbers, including a 4.24 xFIP and a 4.02 SIERA. He’ll now be available on waivers to be claimed by another club, and if he goes unclaimed the Dodgers will have the opportunity to outright him to Triple-A as non-roster depth.
Dodgers Notes: Glasnow, Smith, Rushing
Tyler Glasnow was initially supposed to start for the Dodgers in tonight’s series opener in Baltimore. Los Angeles instead pushed Shohei Ohtani up from his scheduled start on Monday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters that came about after Glasnow reported back stiffness this afternoon (link via Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register).
Roberts framed it as a precautionary measure and suggested they’re hopeful the righty can take the ball in a few days. That’d line him up for a home start against the Rockies early next week. The Dodgers will stick with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw for the final two games of the Orioles series. Swapping Glasnow into what would’ve been Ohtani’s spot on Monday would be the simplest solution if the back issue subsides.
Glasnow missed a couple months in the first half with shoulder inflammation. He has been healthy since his activation on July 9. He has worked to a 3.41 ERA while striking out 29% of opponents across 14 starts. He had a minimal injured list stint related to back tightness last season, though that came around the All-Star Break and allowed the Dodgers to keep his innings in check.
The Dodgers have a more pressing injury situation behind the plate. Will Smith has missed the past two games after taking a foul ball off his throwing hand on Wednesday. Roberts said before tonight’s game that he’s dealing with a bone bruise that he’ll need to manage for the remainder of the season (via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). The Dodgers hope Smith can avoid the injured list but don’t expect him to play this weekend.
That already spurred one roster move. The Dodgers selected Ben Rortvedt yesterday to get a third catcher on the active roster. Rortvedt was to back up Dalton Rushing as long as Smith was unable to play. Rortvedt will temporarily occupy the top spot on the depth chart now. Rushing was forced out of tonight’s game after fouling a ball off his right leg in the sixth inning. He needed to be helped off the field. The Dodgers announced the injury as a right lower leg contusion.
Initial x-rays came back negative. That doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods for a serious injury. Roberts said Rushing will go for a CT scan (relayed by Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times). He may need an injured list stint and has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game. That’ll force the Dodgers to make another move to bring up a catcher who can work behind Rortvedt.
That’s probably going to be Chuckie Robinson, a May waiver claim who was outrighted off the roster a few days later. The only other catcher on the Triple-A active roster, 21-year-old Carlos Avila, has 12 games above rookie ball and was just assigned there yesterday to replace Rortvedt. Robinson has not played in the big leagues this year but has 51 games of MLB experience. He’s a career .132/.170/.194 hitter who has a .264/.349/.368 line with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Smith’s injury already cost Alexis Díaz his 40-man roster spot; he was designated for assignment to make room for Rortvedt. They’ll need to drop someone else from the roster tomorrow, assuming they’re still hopeful of getting Brock Stewart back and don’t want to move him to the 60-day injured list.
Dodgers Designate Alexis Díaz For Assignment
The Dodgers announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Ben Rortvedt, a move that was previously reported. In corresponding moves, they optioned infielder Alex Freeland and designated right-hander Alexis Díaz for assignment.
Díaz, 28, was Cincinnati’s closer not too long ago but has fallen on hards times lately. In 2023, he racked up 37 saves for the Reds. He posted a 3.07 earned run average over his 67 1/3 innings. His 12.6% walk rate was too high but he struck out 30.1% of batters faced. He kept it going in 2024 but with some signs of worry. He added another 28 saves with a 3.99 ERA but his strikeout rate dropped all the way to 22.7%.
Despite the trend lines moving the wrong direction, the Reds still tendered him a contract. He had qualified for arbitration for the first time going into 2025, with exactly three years of service. He and the Reds avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $4.5MM salary.
Things have gone from bad to worse this year. He started the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. He was reinstated by mid-April but the Reds had Emilio Pagán closing games and didn’t commit to Díaz retaking the ninth inning job. Díaz then allowed eight earned runs in his first six innings with just three strikeouts but five walks, in addition to hitting two batters.
The Reds optioned him to the minors at the start of May. Things didn’t get much better down on the farm. In 13 2/3 innings for Louisville, he had a 22.9% strikeout rate but walked 12 opponents, a 17.1% clip. He hit another two batters and also uncorked two wild pitches. The Reds then traded him to the Dodgers in what was essentially a salary dump deal. The player they got back, right-hander Mike Villani, was a 22-year-old with just two professional innings under his belt at the time.
The Dodgers initially sent Díaz to their Arizona facilities to try to get him back on track. His small sample of major league work since then has been decent enough. In nine innings, he has allowed five earned runs via seven hits, two walks and hitting two batters while striking out nine. But he has also thrown ten Triple-A innings, allowing nine earned runs via seven hits, eight walks and hitting three batters while striking out ten.
It seems that the Dodgers have seen enough and are willing to risk losing Díaz to another club. It will be interesting to see if there’s any interest in a claim. The short-term benefits would be minimal. Now that it’s September, Díaz wouldn’t be postseason eligible with a claiming club. He’s a likely non-tender candidate, given this year’s struggles.
On the other hand, there is theoretical upside. Due to spending most of this year in the minors, Díaz can still be controlled for another three years after this one. It also means he won’t be able to command a notable arbitration raise for the 2026 season. If some club out there sees a path to getting him back on track, perhaps they would consider grabbing him now. Tendering him a contract for $4-5MM next year would be akin to signing someone like Ryne Stanek or Jonathan Loáisiga, who signed one-year deals in that range last offseason.
Though if the Dodgers can’t figure him out, that doesn’t leave a lot of hope for other clubs. And he is still owed about $580K this year, which is a decent amount for a struggling reliever who can’t even help in the postseason. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he will almost certainly stick with the Dodgers as non-roster depth. Since he has three years of service, he will have the right to elect free agency. But since he has less than five, he would have to forfeit that remaining money in exercising that right.
Freeland came into the year as one of the club’s top prospects. He got called up in late July as several infielders were dealing with injuries. He slashed just .190/.292/.310 in his first 97 plate appearances and a few infielders have come off the IL in the interim. He’ll make way for the club to carry three catchers, at least for as long as Will Smith is injured. It’s not uncommon for prospects to struggle when first promoted, so Freeland could still be a big part of the club’s future, but he’ll head back to the minors for now.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images
Dodgers To Select Ben Rortvedt
The Dodgers are going to select catcher Ben Rortvedt to their roster, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. That’s to give the club another catcher for the next few days as it’s unlikely Will Smith will play this weekend. Ardaya noted earlier that Dalton Rushing will start tonight, so Rortvedt will presumably back him up while Smith rests. Corresponding moves will be required to add Rortvedt to the active and 40-man rosters.
The issue stems from last night, when Smith was struck by a foul ball on his throwing hand, as seen in this video from MLB.com. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Smith is getting a CT scan today which will determine if he needs to go on the injured list. Even if he avoids the IL, he’s going to miss a few days. The Dodgers naturally don’t want to play with Rushing as their only catcher, so they are adding Rortvedt to give them a bit of cover.
Losing Smith for any amount of time is a blow. He has a .296/.405/.497 batting line and 153 wRC+ this year. His glovework isn’t particularly well regarded but he has nonetheless been credited with 4.1 wins above replacement this year by FanGraphs. Naturally, the Dodgers will be hoping he can be back after a few days. At this time of year, anything longer than a day-to-day issue runs the risk of pushing through the end of the regular season.
Rushing will try to make up some of the slack. He has only hit .190/.256/.293 in his first 129 big league plate appearances but in sporadic playing time while backing up Smith. He has far better minor league numbers and it’s possible he could get into a better groove with more reps. Though if Smith is back in a few days, that may be a moot point.
Rortvedt, 27, seemed to establish himself as a legit big league catcher with the Rays last year. He got into 112 games and slashed .228/.317/.303 in 328 plate appearances. His 87 wRC+ indicates he was 13% below the league average hitter, but backstops are usually about 10% below par, so that’s decent enough for a backup. Given his solid defensive grades, he was credited with 1.4 fWAR last year.
Unfortunately, he didn’t carry that over into 2025. Through late May, he had a .095/.186/.111 slash line. He was designated for assignment and no club claimed him off waivers. A couple of months later, the Dodgers picked up him as part of a three-team trade with the Rays and Reds. The Dodgers subtracted some catching depth in that deal by sending Hunter Feduccia to Tampa but got back prospect Adam Serwinowski and reliever Paul Gervase.
Rortvedt effectively replaced Feduccia as the Dodgers’ #3 catcher. He hasn’t been having a good season in the minors either, with a combined .205/.299/.333 line and 66 wRC+ between the Triple-A clubs of the Rays and Dodgers, but he’s a competent defender who’s been in the big leagues for a few years. If the Dodgers want to cut him from the roster later, he is out of options.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Poll: Will Anyone Get To 60 Home Runs This Year?
It’s been a great year for power hitters in MLB, as five different players slugged their 40th home run of the season before the end of August. It’s not often that so many hitters enter September with a realistic shot at the lofty threshold of 60 home runs in a season. It’s a feat that’s only been accomplished nine times, and the combination of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire account for five of those nine 60-homer seasons. Of course, it’s an incredibly rare feat for a reason, and many promising campaigns fall short in the season’s final month. 12 seasons with between 56 and 59 home runs have been logged throughout MLB history, after all.
Will this year’s biggest power threats join that club of also-ran seasons, or will we see the tenth 60-homer season in MLB history come to fruition this year? Here’s a look at each of the top home run hitters from this season and their chances of reaching that illustrious 60-homer plateau, in order of their current home run totals for 2025:
While everyone else on this list hit their 40th homer of the season in August, Raleigh’s 40th home run was actually slugged on July 26. The Mariners’ catcher has had a historic season this year, setting the all-time single season home run record for a catcher while sitting just four behind Mickey Mantle for the all-time single season record for home runs by a switch hitter. With 50 homers tallied so far this year, it’s hard not to see why Raleigh could have a very real shot at hitting 60 home runs this season. He’s hit at least ten homers in three of the season’s five months so far, and has never hit less than eight in a month this year. With that being said, it’s also worth noting that Raleigh has slowed down a bit in the second half of the season. In 40 games since the All-Star break, Raleigh has posted just a 112 wRC+ with 12 home runs. With just 25 games left to play on the Mariners’ schedule, he’ll need to pick up the pace if he’s going to reach 60 homers this year.
Schwarber is just one homer back of Raleigh in the race for the MLB home run lead after an incredible four-home run performance on August 28. Schwarber has long been one of the game’s premiere power threats and, like Raleigh, has hit at least 10 homers in three of this season’s five months so far. He’ll need to hit 11 in 25 September games in order to reach 60 homers, but one thing working in his favor is that he’s saved most of his power for the second half this year. He’s hit 12 home runs in both July and August, so if he can put up just one more month like the last two, he’ll get there. Of course, a player slugging .655 over his past 52 games also runs the risk of getting pitched around, which could damage Schwarber’s chances of making it to 60. One thing that could work in Schwarber’s favor is his home ballpark, as Statcast considers Citizens Bank Park to be the fifth-most homer friendly stadium in the majors this year.
With three MVP awards in the past four years, no one should put anything past baseball’s two-way superstar. Ohtani became the first player to go 50-50 last season, and with 54 homers tied with Mantle (and seven other seasons) at 22nd on the single-season home run leaderboard. With 45 home runs headed into September, he has an outside shot at not only breaking that personal record, but getting a coveted 60-homer season. 15 home runs in a single month is a tall order for any player, but Ohtani did exactly that back in May when he crushed 15 long balls in 27 games. The Dodgers have two fewer games than that in September, but Ohtani will benefit from playing his home games at Dodger Stadium, which is far and away the most homer-friendly ballpark in the majors this year per Statcast.
Aaron Judge hit his 43rd home run of the season yesterday, and that makes it a tall order for him to reach 60 homers this season. With that being said, onlookers around the game should know better than to doubt the hulking slugger’s offensive abilities at this point, with MVP wins in two of the last three seasons and a completely absurd 202 wRC+ since the start of the 2022 season. Judge is also, of course, the only active player who’s already a member of the 60 home run club after bashing 62 long balls to take the AL home run record from Roger Maris during his 2022 AL MVP campaign. Judge finished just short with 58 home runs last year, but perhaps this year will be different. In order to reach 60 on the season, Judge will need to make a different kind of history: as noted by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com last year, the record for home runs hit in September (and October, in seasons where it hosts regular season games) belongs jointly to Albert Belle and Babe Ruth. Judge would need to at least tie that duo’s 17 homers in the final month of the year in order to crack 60 long balls this year.
What do MLBTR readers think? Will the league enjoy a 60-homer campaign for the second time in four years this season? And if so, who is most likely to pull it off? Have your say in the polls below:
Will there be a 60 homer season in 2025?
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No 59% (2,782)
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Yes 41% (1,920)
Total votes: 4,702
If someone WERE to hit 60 home runs this year, who would it be?
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Cal Raleigh 44% (2,001)
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Kyle Schwarber 43% (1,928)
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Aaron Judge 8% (341)
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Shohei Ohtani 6% (264)
Total votes: 4,534
Dodgers Sign Andrew Heaney
The Dodgers and left-hander Andrew Heaney have agreed to a deal, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The southpaw had recently been released by the Pirates. Heyman notes that Heaney signed in time to be eligible for the playoffs, so the deal must have been signed late last night. Heyman also says Heaney will initially report to Triple-A Oklahoma City, which suggests this is a minor league deal. Chris Cotillo of MassLive had previously reported that Heaney would be signing with a National League team.
It’s a reunion between the two parties, as Heaney spent the 2022 season with the Dodgers and enjoyed some of the best success of his career. He logged an excellent 3.10 ERA with L.A. and fanned a career-best 35.5% of his opponents against a tidy 6.1% walk rate (second-lowest of his career). Shoulder problems limited Heaney to just 14 starts and 72 2/3 innings that season, however.
His relatively small-sample dominance was still enough to earn him a two-year deal with an opt-out in Texas. Though he wasn’t nearly as dominant on a rate basis with the Rangers, Heaney did pile up 307 1/3 innings over 59 starts, pitching to a 4.22 ERA with a quality 23.2% strikeout rate and a better-than-average 7.6% walk rate. It was at least mildly surprising that he lingered on the free-agent market into February this past offseason, and his one-year, $5.25MM deal with the Bucs looked like a bargain early in the season.
Through mid-June, Heaney sported a 3.33 ERA with an 18.5% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. The 34-year-old lefty’s average velocity had dipped slightly under 90 mph, and his strikeout rate declined accordingly, but Heaney continued to post solid results, even while ERA alternatives like SIERA (4.53) remained skeptical of those run-prevention numbers.
Regression indeed reared its ugly head. Heaney was trounced for seven runs in back-to-back starts in mid-June and hasn’t been able to right the ship. In 42 innings since mid-June (nine starts, three relief appearances), Heaney has been throttled for 43 earned runs in 42 innings. He’s continued to limit walks nicely (7.3%), but his strikeout rate has plummeted to 12% and he’s averaged A staggering 2.79 homers per nine innings pitched.
For now, Heaney will look to get back on track in Oklahoma City. The Dodgers are quite familiar with Heaney and have gotten strong results from him in the past, so they’ll hope to turn the clock back a few years. Heaney has experience both in the rotation and bullpen, so he can be depth for a variety of roles in his return to the Dodger organization.
Dodgers Notes: Stewart, Kopech, Hurt
The Dodgers lost right-hander Brock Stewart to the 15-day injured list earlier this month due to shoulder inflammation, and manager Dave Roberts revealed to reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) earlier today that Stewart actually suffered a setback not long after going on the shelf. Stewart initially received a cortisone injection and resumed playing catch last week, but felt continued discomfort when he started to ramp back up. That required another injection and a second shutdown from throwing, but Plunkett adds that Stewart has resumed playing catch at this point.
While it’s encouraging that Stewart is throwing once again, the news of a setback does raise questions over just how much Los Angeles can expect to get from the right-hander down the stretch and into the playoffs. Roberts suggested that the club is “hopeful” Stewart will be able to return at some point in September, but there’s no firm timeline for the righty at this point. He’s made just four appearances since serving as Los Angeles’s lone bullpen addition over the summer, and he pitched to a 4.91 ERA with a 3.94 FIP across those 3 2/3 innings of work prior to hitting the shelf.
With Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen serving as a strong one-two punch in the late innings, perhaps the Dodgers will be able to get on without Stewart providing much down the stretch. While L.A.’s relief corps has been slightly below average overall this year, they’ve actually been one of the best units in the sport since the All-Star break with a 3.18 ERA in their last 133 innings of work. It’s unclear if the Dodgers’ bullpen will be able to keep that up headed into the playoffs, but the good news is that they are getting reinforcements from the injured list in the form of Michael Kopech. Plunkett writes that the right-hander has finished his rehab assignment and has now joined the club ahead of his anticipated activation from the injured list this coming Tuesday.
After serving as one of the stars of the Dodgers bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason last year, Kopech has been limited to just eight appearances in 2025 by a handful of injuries. He’s expected to rejoin the roster in fairly short order, however, which is good news given that the seven innings of work he’s mustered this year have been nothing short of dominant. He’s not allowed a single run while striking out 27.6% of his opponents, though his 13.8% walk rate is high enough to raise some eyebrows. Regardless, it seems likely that Kopech will slide right back into his late-inning role with the Dodgers upon his return, joining Treinen and Scott at the back of the club’s bullpen ahead of the playoffs.
Kopech isn’t the only arm the Dodgers could get back in the near future. Plunkett also notes that southpaw Kyle Hurt, who’s been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery since July 2024, is finally nearing a return to the mound after throwing live batting practice to Tommy Edman, Justin Dean, and Dalton Rushing at Dodger Stadium today. The next step for Hurt, per Plunkett, is a two-inning appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Hurt has just four big league appearances under his belt, and while he’s pitched to a 1.04 ERA in those 8 2/3 innings of work at the big league level it’s unclear if he’ll get back in time to make more MLB outings this year. Even if he doesn’t return to the majors, getting back on the mound this year at all should be valuable for Hurt headed into the offseason, when he’ll look ahead to competing for a roster spot during Spring Training.
Buddy Kennedy Elects Free Agency
Infielder Buddy Kennedy elected free agency after being outrighted by the Dodgers, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week when Kiké Hernández returned from injury.
Los Angeles claimed Kennedy off waivers from Toronto two weeks ago. That coincided with an IL placement for Max Muncy. He joined Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim and Hernández on the shelf. Kennedy provided an extra infielder alongside Miguel Rojas and rookie Alex Freeland between second and third base. He went 1-17 over seven games.
A former fifth-round pick of the Diamondbacks, Kennedy has played sporadically in parts of four big league seasons. He’s a .178/.271/.274 hitter in 181 career plate appearances. The 26-year-old has split time in Triple-A this year between the Philadelphia and Toronto systems. He has turned in a solid .268/.372/.408 showing in 77 combined games.
Kennedy will look for a minor league deal elsewhere. He’d need to be in another organization by September 1 to be eligible for a postseason roster. He’d be a long shot to get a playoff roster spot either way, of course, but it stands to reason a signing team would prefer that flexibility if they’re adding him as upper minors infield depth.
Dodgers Place Alex Vesia On Injured List
The Dodgers placed Alex Vesia on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 23, with a right oblique strain. Blake Snell was activated from the paternity list in the corresponding move.
Vesia was one of the few Dodgers pitchers who had avoided the injured list until now. Only Anthony Banda has made more appearances than Vesia, who has gotten into 59 contests. He owns a 2.75 earned run average while striking out 33% of opponents across 52 1/3 frames. Vesia has collected four saves and recorded a career-best 21 holds.
It’s his second straight excellent season. The southpaw allowed only 1.76 earned runs per nine behind a matching 33% strikeout rate over 67 appearances last year. Between that performance and injuries to Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott, Vesia has been Dave Roberts’ most trusted reliever of late. He has pitched in the highest-leverage situations of any L.A. bullpen arm in the second half.
Scott and Yates recently returned to join Blake Treinen and Ben Casparius in the late innings. Vesia’s injury isn’t quite as significant for the Dodgers as it would’ve been a week or two ago. Still, it’s suboptimal to lose one of their best relievers for at least two weeks as they cling to a one-game lead on San Diego in the NL West.