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Dodgers Acquire Jose Hernandez From Pirates

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The Dodgers announced the acquisition of lefty reliever Jose Hernandez from the Pirates for cash. Los Angeles transferred Ryan Brasier to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Pittsburgh designated Hernandez for assignment earlier in the week when they claimed Dennis Santana off waivers.

Los Angeles took that opportunity to bring Hernandez back to his original organization. The Dodgers signed the Dominican-born southpaw as an amateur in May 2016. Hernandez spent the next six-plus seasons in the L.A. farm system, topping out at Double-A Tulsa. He tallied plenty of punchouts in the low minors but never consistently found the strike zone. The Dodgers left him off their 40-man roster at the end of the 2022 season, allowing other clubs to take a flier in the Rule 5 draft.

Pittsburgh selected Hernandez with the third Rule 5 pick that December (behind Thaddeus Ward and another former Dodger farmhand, Ryan Noda). The Bucs secured his long-term contractual rights by carrying him in the MLB bullpen for all of last season. Hernandez showed the ability to miss bats at the MLB level, fanning 27.8% of opposing hitters behind a 12.5% swinging strike rate. He walked just under 10% of batters faced and surrendered nine homers in 50 2/3 innings, leading to a 4.97 earned run average.

The Pirates gained the right to option Hernandez to the minors after his first MLB campaign. They shuttled him between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis for the season’s first couple months. Hernandez tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts and walks apiece at the big league level. He has been tagged for 12 runs over 15 1/3 Triple-A frames despite punching out 21 of the 75 hitters he’s faced (a solid 28% rate).

It was moderately surprising to see the Bucs move on from Hernandez not long after they satisfied the Rule 5 requirements. His velocity has been slightly down, perhaps contributing to the move. As a rookie, Hernandez averaged 82.9 MPH on his slider (which he uses as his primary pitch) and 94.6 MPH on his fastball. Those speeds were respectively at 81.6 MPH and 93.1 MPH during his major league work this year.

Hernandez has just over one year of service and is in his first of three minor league option years. The Dodgers can keep him in Triple-A Oklahoma City for the foreseeable future if he holds his 40-man roster spot.

The team essentially had an open roster spot thanks to Brasier’s injury. The veteran righty has been out since April 28 after suffering a significant strain of his right calf. He has yet to begin a minor league rehab stint. Brasier will be eligible for reinstatement two weeks from now — the 60-day minimum is backdated to his initial IL placement — but it’s not clear if he’ll be ready by that point.

MLBTR Podcast: Injured Astros, The Chances Of Bad Teams Rebounding In 2025 And More

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • The Astros have lost several players to injury but general manager Dana Brown insists they will be deadline buyers (0:45)
  • With so few teams clearly out of contention, signs are pointing towards a seller’s market at the deadline (7:20)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Out of the five worst teams right now (Athletics, Angels, White Sox, Marlins and Rockies), who most needs to replenish their farm system and who could possibly turn things around by 2025? (11:20)
  • The Guardians need a right-handed right fielder with power. Who is a viable target? (20:40)
  • Will the Marlins to try trade Jesús Luzardo and Jazz Chisholm Jr.? (24:30)
  • Could you see Alex Anthopoulos of the Braves trying to get Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays? (28:35)
  • How active will the Reds be at the deadline? (32:15)
  • Should the Dodgers acquire Javier Báez from the Tigers and move Mookie Betts back to the outfield and/or option Gavin Lux? (35:40)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Blue Jays Trade Cavan Biggio To Dodgers

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12:15pm: The teams have now announced the trade.

11:16am: The Dodgers are optioning Miguel Vargas to Triple-A to open a spot on the roster for Biggio, reports Jack Harris of the L.A. Times. Vargas has hit well in his tiny sample of work this season, but the Dodgers have moved him from the infield to left field this year and don’t have much playing time available for him at the moment. Vargas has just one plate appearance in the past five days and has only appeared in three games this month despite being on the active roster since mid-May.

Meanwhile, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet adds that the Jays are sending some cash to the Dodgers in the trade. It’s not clear how much, but the Dodgers won’t take on the full $2.49MM remaining on Biggio’s salary. They’ll still pay a 110% tax on whatever portion of his contract they do absorb, however, just as the Jays will pay a 30% tax on any cash included to offset Biggio’s salary.

8:30am: The Dodgers and Blue Jays are in agreement on a trade sending infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio from Toronto to Los Angeles in exchange for a minor league player, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Minor league righty Braydon Fisher is heading back to Toronto, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Biggio was designated for assignment earlier in the week. The Dodgers have an open 40-man roster spot, so they’ll only need to clear space on the active, 26-man roster for Biggio.

The trade formally closes the book on Biggio’s tenure with the Blue Jays after nearly a decade-long run. Selected in the fifth-round of the 2016 draft, the now-29-year-old Biggio emerged as one of the organization’s better prospects prior to his debut and looked early in his career to be a potential core member of the Jays. From 2019-20, Biggio batted .240/.368/.430 with 24 home runs and 20 steals in roughly one full season’s worth of playing time (159 games, 695 plate appearances). His massive walk rate and blend of power, speed and defensive versatility made him one of the more intriguing young players on the Jays’ roster, setting up a potential core trio of second-generation talents alongside Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

As those high-profile teammates blossomed into All-Stars for the Jays, however, Biggio trended in the other direction. Over the next two seasons, he turned in a tepid .213/.320/.353 batting line with 13 homers and seven steals. His strikeout rate climbed from 2020’s mark of 23% into the upper-20s, and Biggio’s walk rate dropped by three percentage points as well. He rebounded to post roughly league-average numbers at the plate in a limited role last year but has slipped to .200/.323/.291 with a career-worst 32% strikeout rate this season.

Overall, since that promising 2019-20 start to his career, Biggio has batted .219/.327/.351 with a 12.1% walk rate against a 27.5% strikeout rate. That production comes despite a fair bit of platooning. Biggio has mostly even platoon splits in his career, but the overwhelming amount of his production against lefties came back in 2019-20. His bat fell off against southpaws, in particular, in 2021 (.200/.290/.250), and the Jays began limiting his time against lefties more regularly in subsequent seasons.

Flawed as he may have been over his past several seasons, Biggio is a sensible flyer for a Dodgers club that has received minimal production out of second base (and, to a lesser extent, left field) in 2024. The bottom of the L.A. lineup has been an issue throughout the season. Veterans like Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez have struggled immensely, as has former top prospect Gavin Lux, who’s been the team’s primary second baseman but hit just .223/.277/.297 through 188 trips to the plate in his return after his 2023 season was wiped out by a torn ACL.

Biggio passed five years of major league service time earlier this season, meaning he can’t be optioned to Triple-A without his consent. He’ll likely join the big league roster and do so at the expense one of those struggling veterans. Lux has minor league options remaining and could be sent down in order to preserve maximum depth.

Biggio could step in as the Dodgers’ primary second baseman against right-handed pitching, perhaps taking a seat on the bench in favor of star Mookie Betts against lefties. Veteran Miguel Rojas could handle shortstop on those days. It’s also possible that Biggio could see some time at third base, where the Dodgers are currently without Max Muncy (oblique strain). Hernandez has filled in at the hot corner in Muncy’s absence but is hitting just .207/.277/.314 on the season. Biggio has plenty of outfield experience as well, but with Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages and Jason Heyward all healthy at the moment, there’s a greater need in the infield.

Biggio is earning a $4.21MM salary this season and has about $2.49MM of that sum left to be paid out. The Dodgers are in the top luxury bracket and will pay a 110% tax on that salary, meaning they’re effectively spending a bit more than $5MM to acquire Biggio. He’s controlled through next season via arbitration, so if he’s able to turn things around following the change of scenery, Biggio could be a multi-year piece for the Dodgers. The Blue Jays are also luxury tax payors at present, so they’ll save not only that $2.49MM but also a 30% tax hit on that sum.

In addition to sheer cost savings, the Blue Jays will pick up a 23-year-old righty whom the Dodgers selected with their fourth-round pick back in 2018. Fisher is a pure relief prospect who has missed bats in massive quantities throughout his minor league tenure but as also regularly battled subpar command. He’s worked to a combined 5.68 earned run average between Double-A and his first taste of Triple-A work this season. Nearly all of the damage against him came in one meltdown outing that saw him yield six runs in just 1 2/3 innings late last month.

This season, Fisher has struck out exactly one-third of his opponents (30 of 90) but also walked one-sixth of them (15). The 6’4″ Texas native punched out 30.8% of his opponents in 2022 and 32.7% of them last season but also logged walk rates of 17% and 13.4% in those respective seasons.

Given that Fisher has climbed to Triple-A this season, he could be an option for the Blue Jays in the short term. His walk rates are an obvious red flag, but it’s hard not to be intrigued by a relief prospect who’s regularly whiffed 30-33% of his opponents while posting gaudy swinging-strike rates along the way.

West Notes: Miller, Kershaw, Graterol, Scherzer

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The Dodgers have suffered more than their fair share of injuries this season, but they have received several positive updates in recent days. For one, young right-hander Bobby Miller could soon rejoin the rotation. After a strong rookie season in 2023, Miller has missed most of his sophomore campaign with a shoulder injury. However, his latest rehab appearance last Friday went well, and afterward, manager Dave Roberts suggested Miller could be ready to return without another rehab start – although, as more time passes without an update, it seems that Miller will likely make one final rehab start after all (per MLB.com)

Miller allowed seven runs on 11 hits and six walks over 11 2/3 innings across his first three starts in 2024 before landing on the IL. However, he is coming off a breakout 2023 season in which he pitched to a 3.76 ERA and 3.93 SIERA over 22 starts (124 1/3 innings). Still just 25 years old, he looks to be a fixture in the Dodgers rotation for years to come.

The Dodgers currently have a starting five of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Stone, James Paxton, and Walker Buehler, so they don’t need to rush Miller back from the IL. That said, with no off days in their schedule until June 23, the Dodgers could certainly use a sixth starter to help shoulder the workload.

More injury updates from around the NL and AL West…

  • Sticking with Dodgers starting pitchers, Clayton Kershaw could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment of his own. The long-time Dodgers ace has yet to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last November. However, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that Kershaw was scheduled to throw a third simulated game, and after that, he could be ready to start a rehab assignment. This seems to put him on track to come back sometime next month. “Sometime in July” was always considered the earliest possible timeline for Kershaw’s return.
  • Meanwhile, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that reliever Brusdar Graterol will throw a bullpen session this week. The right-hander has been out since spring training with a shoulder injury, and he suffered a setback in late April, forcing him to shut down his throwing program. Graterol played a key role in the Dodgers bullpen last season, pitching to a 1.20 ERA and 3.31 SIERA over 68 appearances, racking up seven saves, 19 holds, and leading the pitching staff in Win Probability Added (WPA).
  • Finally, moving over to the American League, Max Scherzer could rejoin the Rangers rotation as soon as next week (per Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today). The three-time Cy Young winner is scheduled to make a third rehab start on Friday, after which he could be ready to return to the majors. His second rehab appearance went well, and barring a setback, his outing with Triple-A Round Rock on Friday could be the last rehab start he needs. Wilson reports that Scherzer could make his 2024 debut as early as June 19, although he suggests the Rangers could opt to give Scherzer some extra rest, pushing his start back to June 21.

Dodgers Outright Elieser Hernández

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The Dodgers have sent right-hander Elieser Hernández outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He has the right to elect free agency but it’s not yet clear if he’s chosen to do so.

Hernández, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. He tossed 28 2/3 innings over six outings for Oklahoma City, five of those being official starts and the other being a five-inning appearance after an opener. He allowed 2.83 earned runs per nine frames in that time, despite the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League, striking out 29.8% of batters faced while giving out walks at just a 7% clip.

The Dodgers added him to their big league roster in the middle of May, giving him a spot start as they looked to give their other rotation members a breather. He allowed three earned runs in six innings and then got bumped to the bullpen, as he is not allowed to be optioned.

His work as a reliever was mixed but his most recent outing was especially poor. Against the Mets on May 29, he allowed a single, a home run and a walk before being pulled. The walk eventually came around to score, leaving him charged with three earned runs without recording an out. That bumped his season-long ERA to 8.38 and the Dodgers cut him from the roster two days later.

Hernández has more than enough service time to reject this assignment and return to the open market. He once looked like a potential rotation building block with the Marlins, posting a 3.84 ERA over 2020 and 2021 with a 26.3% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. But he also missed time due to a strained right latissimus dorsi, right biceps inflammation and a right quad strain, only throwing 77 1/3 innings over those seasons.

But he then struggled badly in 2022 with a 6.35 ERA before more injury troubles largely wiped out his 2023. He only threw 9 1/3 innings in the minor leagues last year due to a right shoulder strain and right pectoral strain.

Hernández seemed to be back in decent form with OKC earlier and he’ll have to decide whether he wants to return to that environment or pursue opportunities elsewhere. The fact that he went unclaimed on waivers suggests that no club was willing to give him a roster spot, but perhaps a minor league deal with a team that has a weaker pitching staff than the Dodgers could increase his chances of getting back to the majors.

Dinelson Lamet Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Dinelson Lamet, who’d been pitching with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, has elected free agency, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. Presumably, the minor league deal he inked with the Dodgers back in February contained an early June opt-out date that he chose to exercise.

Lamet, 31, briefly had his contract selected to the big league roster earlier this season. He pitched just 4 1/3 innings before being designated for assignment, clearing waivers, and accepting an outright assignment back to OKC. The former Padres hurler allowed just one earned run in that brief MLB stint. He’s spent the rest of the season in the rotation down in Triple-A, where he’s logged a 4.82 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 12.9% walk rate and 44.4% ground-ball rate in 37 1/3 innings. Lamet’s bottom-line results have improved of late (3.81 ERA over his past six starts), but his command remains problematic (13.6% walk rate in that stretch).

Early in his career, Lamet looked the part of a potential rising star in San Diego. He debuted in his age-24 campaign back in 2017 and notched a hefty 28.7% strikeout rate while holding his own with a 4.57 ERA over 21 starts. His 2018 season, however, was lost to Tommy John surgery.

Upon returning in 2019, Lamet lowered that ERA to 4.07 while upping his strikeout rate to 33.5% and cutting his walk rate to 9.6%. By the time the 2020 season rolled around, the 6’3″ flamethrower looked to be putting it all together. Lamet made a “full” slate of 12 starts during the pandemic-shortened season and posted a brilliant 2.09 ERA with a career-best 34.8% strikeout rate against a better-than-average 7.5% walk rate. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting.

Lamet opened the 2021 season on the injured list due to inflammation in his right forearm — a worrying development for a pitcher just three years removed from UCL surgery. He was activated in late April and eased into the season with a series of two- and three-inning “starts” and long relief appearances. San Diego pushed his workload more in the summer months, as Lamet made several five-inning starts before landing back on the injured list with further forearm troubles. When he returned in September, he was a full-time reliever — and that’s been his primary role since.

Lamet posted a 4.08 ERA in 315 2/3 innings over parts of five years with the Padres, striking out nearly 31% of his opponents along the way. He was struggling through what looked like a lost 2022 season when traded to the Brewers as a financial component of the ’22 Josh Hader blockbuster, however. Milwaukee immediately designated him for assignment, at which point the Rockies scooped him up on waivers. Lamet had a decent finish in Colorado, which helped him to avoid a non-tender, but he posted an 11.71 ERA in 27 2/3 innings between the Rox and Red Sox in 2023.

All told, Lamet has pitched to an 8.25 ERA in 64 1/3 big league innings dating back to Opening Day 2022. It’s an unsightly track record, but he’s turned in decent results as a starter with the Dodgers’ top minor league affiliate and can now market himself as an option to a team needing immediate rotation depth or any club seeking bullpen help.

Major League Baseball Closes Investigation Involving Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara

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1:20pm: Ohtani released a statement through a spokesperson, with Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic among those to relay it on X:

“Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family. I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence. This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process. It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”

1:00pm: Major League Baseball released a statement to members of the media today regarding Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers, with Alden González of MLB among those to relay it on X: “Based on the thoroughness of the federal investigation that was made public, the information MLB collected, and the criminal proceeding being resolved without being contested, MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed.”

Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s former interpreter, officially pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud charges in federal court this morning, as also relayed by González on X. Mizuhara’s sentencing is set for October 25 at 2:00pm Pacific.

The Dodgers also released a statement on the matter on X: “With today’s plea in the criminal proceedings against Ippei Mizuhara and the conclusion of both federal and MLB investigations, the Dodgers are pleased that Shohei and the team can put this entire matter behind them and move forward in pursuit of a World Series title.”

MLB announced in March that its Department of Investigations would be looking into the matter. That followed the emergence of various news reports that connected Mizuhara and Ohtani to an illegal gambling ring in California, where sports betting is not legal.

Mizuhara initially told members of the press that he had run up sizeable gambling debts and that Ohtani had agreed to help him by wiring money to the bookmaker. Attorneys representing Ohtani later said that the player had been “the victim of a massive theft.” Ohtani spoke about the situation, accusing Mizuhara of stealing his money and lying about it.

In April, Mizuhara was officially charged by federal officials, with the full 37-page complaint against him being released at that time. Further details emerged last month when it was reported that Mizuhara would be pleading guilty and agreeing to a plea deal. Mizuhara is alleged to have transferred more than $16MM from an account of Ohtani’s to the bookmaker, with the complaint containing phone records, text messages and banking records. Mizuhara allegedly phoned the bank and impersonated Ohtani “at least 24 times” as part of his attempts to access the account in question. Ohtani believed his agents and/or accounts were monitoring the account, whereas their repeated attempts to get access it were thwarted by Mizuhara, who told them that Ohtani wanted it kept private. The complaint also contained a text message wherein Mizuhara admitted to a bookmaker that he stole from Ohtani: “Technically I did steal from him. it’s all over for me.” Investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Ohtani, nor did they find any evidence of Mizuhara betting on baseball.

Mizuhara is facing a maximum sentence of 33 years but could wind up with less than that as part of his plea deal. Meghann Cuniff of The Washington Post looked at the sentencing guidelines on X last month, (link one and two) suggesting that Mizuhara’s range would likely be in the range of 78 to 108 months, though also adding on X that the final decision will ultimately lie with the judge. Multiple reports have suggested Mizuhara is likely to be deported to Japan.

Max Muncy Shut Down Following Setback

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Dodgers slugger Max Muncy has been out since mid-May due to an oblique strain but doesn’t sound closer to returning than he was at the time of his original placement on the injured list. Muncy told the Dodgers beat yesterday that he recently experienced a setback in his rehab when he felt pain in his ribcage while swinging a bat (X link via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times). He’s currently shut down from all baseball activity, and there’s no timetable for his return.

Muncy, 33, got out to a typical start in 2024, hitting for a low average that was largely offset by a glut of walks and plenty of extra-base hits. He’s batting .223/.323/.475 with nine homers and eight doubles through 167 trips to the plate this season — about 24% better than league-average production, by measure of wRC+. The slugger’s 12.6% walk rate is four percentage points north of average but nevertheless represents a career-low mark (excepting his 2015 season, when he received only 112 plate appearances in his initial call to the big leagues). Muncy’s 29.9% strikeout rate, meanwhile, is the highest of his career.

In Muncy’s absence, utilityman Enrique Hernandez has seen the bulk of the workload at third base. The offensive struggles that plagued Hernandez early in the season haven’t yet subsided, however. He’s hitting .171/.209/.244 since Muncy landed on the 10-day IL and just .198/.255/.278 on the season overall. Veterans Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor have both seen fleeting time at the hot corner as well. The Dodgers have had plenty of struggles from the bottom-third of their lineup throughout the season even without Muncy’s injury, and dedicating regular time to Hernandez in lieu of Muncy hasn’t helped matters.

Poor production from the lower portion of the lineup is a flaw of this Dodgers club but hasn’t prevented the team from building a comfortable lead in the National League West. Buoyed by massive offensive performances from the star-studded top of the lineup featuring Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez, the Dodgers hold a lead of 6.5 games over the second-place Padres, tying them with the Phillies for the second-largest division lead in all of Major League Baseball. (The Brewers’ seven-game lead in the NL Central is currently the largest division lead in MLB.)

Dodgers Notes: Miller, Snell, Kershaw

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Dodgers youngster Bobby Miller made his second rehab start last night as he works his way back from a bout of shoulder inflammation that has kept him out of action since mid-April. As noted by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Miller experienced “a little velocity drop” during the start. While a drop in velocity can often be a sign of a physical issue of some sort, Roberts suggested that the club does not believe Miller to have been dealt any sort of physical setback in his recovery process.

Lower velocity could help to explain Miller’s rough final line last night, as he allowed four runs on five hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings of work without recording a strikeout. That shaky performance doesn’t seem to have altered the club’s plans for Miller, however, as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that Miller is scheduled to make his next rehab start at the Triple-A level before the Dodgers decide on whether or not he’s ready to rejoin the big league club. A fully healthy return from Miller would surely be a shot in the arm for the club, as the 25-year-old looked good in 22 starts during his rookie season last year with a 3.76 ERA and 3.51 FIP in 124 1/3 innings of work.

More notes from L.A….

  • A recent report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that the Dodgers “made a late play” to land left-hander Blake Snell before he ultimately signed with the Giants on a two-year, $62MM deal. That the Dodgers had interest in Snell prior to his deal with San Francisco comes as something of a surprise given reporting from Heyman back in December that indicated the Dodgers had no interest in the reigning NL Cy Young award winner. Of course, in the months between those reports the market for Snell dried up considerably and he began to entertain short-term offers. Given Snell’s 10.42 ERA in five starts this year with the Giants, L.A. may have ended up better off by entering the season with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, James Paxton, and Gavin Stone. With Paxton and Walker Buehler both scheduled to hit free agency following the 2024 campaign, it’s possible the Dodgers could once again be a suitor for Snell’s services this winter should he rebound enough to opt out of year two of his deal with the Giants.
  • DiGiovanna also relays that the club’s longtime franchise face is making progress as he looks to work his way back from shoulder surgery. Lefty Clayton Kershaw faced six hitters in a live bullpen session yesterday, and in conversation with reporters (including DiGiovanna) compared to outing to an outing that would happen in the early stages of Spring Training during a normal year. The plan for Kershaw is currently for him to work his way towards a rehab stint after bumping up to two innings during his next bullpen session. As the Injury Tracker at MLB.com notes, the veteran lefty appears to be around six weeks away from a return to the big leagues, a timeline which would put him on track to return around the All Star break next month. Kershaw pitched through shoulder troubles last year, posting a 2.46 ERA in 24 starts for the Dodgers during the regular season, but ultimately opted to undergo surgery after a disastrous postseason start against the Diamondbacks where he allowed six runs while recording just one out.

Dodgers Release Kevin Padlo

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The Dodgers released infielder Kevin Padlo earlier this week, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He’d been in the organization on the minor league contract he inked in January.

Padlo didn’t get to the majors with Los Angeles. He had played in the big leagues in each of the previous three seasons. A former fifth-round pick, the right-handed hitting infielder has suited up for five different teams. Padlo has appeared with the Rays, Mariners, Giants, Pirates and Angels. Despite logging action with five clubs, he has a combined 26 games of MLB experience. Padlo has hit .111/.158/.167 without a homer in 57 plate appearances.

The 27-year-old has generally been a productive hitter at the top minor league level. Padlo carried a .251/.348/.461 Triple-A slash line into this season. He was out to a slower start this year, hitting .216/.340/.380 over 209 plate appearances. He walked a customarily strong 15.3% clip against a 26.3% strikeout rate — higher than average but right around his career mark. His .272 average on balls in play was a bit below his typical level.

Padlo is likely to seek another minor league opportunity. He has been a part of seven organizations in his career — he was initially a Rockies draftee who went to the Rays in the Germán Márquez/Jake McGee trade — so he hasn’t been short on teams intrigued by his plate discipline and raw power.

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