The Los Angeles Dodgers are clearing out space on the roster as players return from injury.
The unfortunate one out for the Dodgers is Canadian lefty James Paxton, who was designated for assignment by the team, MLB insider Robert Murray reported on Monday.
The team later announced that they would be calling up righty River Ryan from triple-A Oklahoma City.
Paxton, 35, signed with the Dodgers in the off-season and has since pitched to an 8-2 record with a 4.43 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched.
The Ladner, B.C., native has spent 11 seasons in the majors split between the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. He has a career 3.76 ERA and a 72-40 record in 174 starts.
Ryan, 25, is set to make his MLB debut Monday against the San Francisco Giants. he has a 2.76 ERA in five starts with Oklahoma City this season.
The 59-41 Dodgers are set to get a semblance of their starting rotation back in the fold in the coming week as Clayton Kershaw is in line to make his season debut on Thursday and Tyler Glasnow is expected to return from a back injury on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a surprising move on Monday when they removed left-handed pitcher James Paxton from their roster by designating him for assignment. This decision comes after Paxton struggled in his first few appearances with the team, posting a 6.75 ERA in just four innings pitched.
Paxton, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason, was expected to provide depth to the team’s starting rotation. However, injuries and inconsistency have plagued the 32-year-old veteran, leading to his removal from the roster.
Designating a player for assignment means that the team has removed him from the 40-man roster and has seven days to either trade, release, or outright him to the minor leagues. In Paxton’s case, it is unclear what the Dodgers plan to do with him moving forward.
Despite his struggles this season, Paxton has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, including a no-hitter in 2018 while playing for the Seattle Mariners. It remains to be seen if another team will take a chance on him or if he will accept an assignment to the minor leagues to work on his game.
The Dodgers, who currently sit atop the National League West standings, will need to find a replacement for Paxton in their rotation. With several talented pitchers waiting in the wings, including Tony Gonsolin and David Price, the team should have no trouble filling the void left by Paxton’s departure.
Overall, the decision to remove James Paxton from the roster was a difficult one for the Dodgers, but one that they felt was necessary in order to improve their chances of success this season. Only time will tell if Paxton can bounce back from this setback and continue his career in Major League Baseball.