The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a roster adjustment, selecting reliever Matt Sauer onto their major league roster ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome. To make room, they optioned left-hander Justin Wrobleski and transferred Clayton Kershaw from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list, which opened a spot on the 40-man roster.
In finalizing their Opening Day roster, the Dodgers placed nine additional pitchers on the injured list, bringing their total sidelined pitchers to eleven. This includes Tony Gonsolin, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, Clayton Kershaw, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, and Emmet Sheehan, all placed on the 15-day injured list, along with Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove, who were previously placed on the 60-day injured list to accommodate Roki Sasaki and Luis García on the 40-man roster.
Los Angeles Dodgers Select Matt Sauer With Multiple Pitchers On IL
Matt Sauer, who signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers during the offseason, returns to the majors after a brief stint with the Kansas City Royals. A former second-round pick by the New York Yankees, Sauer never made a major league appearance with them. The Royals acquired him in the 2023-24 Rule 5 draft and kept him on their big league roster for the initial part of the season. However, Sauer struggled against major league hitters, allowing 14 runs in 16 1/3 innings, with 11 walks and nine strikeouts.
As the Royals’ playoff aspirations grew, they decided to return Sauer to the Yankees in May. His return to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate was challenging, as he gave up 15 runs in 8 1/3 innings. However, he found his form after being demoted to Double-A in July, finishing the season with a 2.63 ERA over 24 innings before becoming a minor league free agent.
This spring, the 26-year-old right-hander pitched in four games, allowing seven runs in 7 2/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. His performance impressed the Dodgers enough to include him on their travel roster for the Tokyo Series, and now he will join the MLB team.
Clayton Kershaw, who is recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur on his left big toe, was moved to the 60-day injured list. As he stated at the beginning of camp, this move was expected to create a roster spot when needed. He is expected to be sidelined until at least the end of May.