Cody Snavely
Throughout the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-game series against the Chicago Cubs in Toyko, Japan, the team made a flurry of roster moves, including the latest wave of options and some transfers to the Injured List.
Starting off on the injury side, the Dodgers transferred veteran left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw and right-handed pitchers Michael Grove and Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day Injured List.
Grove, 28, had season-ending shoulder surgery a few weeks back after being unable to most past lingering shoulder pain that followed the righty the last two seasons, including in October and forcing Grove to miss the National League Championship Series and World Series.
Graterol, 26, is set to miss the first half of the 2024 regular season as the righty recovers from offseason shoulder surgery in November. You’ll recall that Graterol also missed most of last season on the injured list with hamstring and shoulder injuries.
Kershaw, 37, had his season cut short in the second half after going down with a knee and toe injury that never bounced back the way he had hoped.
Ultimately, Kershaw would go under the knife for the second straight offseason, undergoing knee and toe surgery with an early summer return to the Dodgers rotation.
With these three players on the 60-day Injured List, they are now removed from the team’s 40-man roster, creating the much-needed space to add Roki Sasaki, Matt Sauer, and Luis García.
As for the second set of injury moves, the Dodgers also announced that they had transferred right-handed pitchers Evan Phillips, Kyle Hurt, Michael Kopech, Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan, and Edgardo Henriquez to the 15-day Injued List.
Phillips, 30, missed all of spring training after he was recovering from a strained rotator cuff injury that the righty suffered during October last season. The injury forced Phillips to miss the 2024 World Series, but he is expected to rejoin the team in April.
Kyle Hurt and Emmet Sheehan are each recovering from Tommy John Surgery and are expected to rejoin the team in mid-summer.
Kopech, 28, also missed all of spring training and didn’t throw off a mound until the final days of camp. Bob Nightengale reported over the winter that Kopech had right forearm inflammation, but the team’s official report is right shoulder impingement. His return date is unknown.
Young right-hander Edgardo Henriquez will also start the season on the injured list after injuring his left foot due to a possible self-inflicted (frustrating) injury.
Lastly, Gonsolin, 30, will also start the year on the 15-day Injured List after injuring his back during a workout. Gonsolin, a 2022 National League all-star, was in the running for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, but with the injury, that role will go to righty Dustin May for now.
The Dodgers also made a few more roster cuts, including today after Game Two of the Tokyo Series.
Prior to the series, the Dodgers optioned right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller and utilityman Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A OKC. The team also announced that backup catcher Hunter Fedducia would join them.
Left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski would also be optioned after yesterday’s game despite having a fantastic spring training.
Finally, after today’s game, the Dodgers announced that they had optioned right-handed pitchers Matt Sauer and Landon Knack, as well as outfielder James Outman, to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Outman is getting optioned all but confirms that Andy Pages will be the team’s “primary” center fielder and win the final spot on the Dodgers’ 26-man roster.
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