The Los Angeles Dodgers made a roster move ahead of Saturday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, shaking up the bullpen again.
The Dodgers activated Landon Knack, who has not pitched in the majors this year, while Kyle Hurt was optioned down to Triple-A.
Additionally, to make room for Knack on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated LHP Charlie Barnes for assignment.
Knack suffered a right chest injury, an intercostal strain, after four appearances for the Dodgers in Spring Training.
He was moved to the 60-day injured list back in late April to open up a roster spot, and after months of working down in the Dodgers’ complex in Arizona and rehabbing, he joined Triple-A OKC in late June.
Knack has made three appearances in the minor leagues, pitching seven innings. He allowed just three runs, got 10 strikeouts, and walked four batters.
He allowed nine hits, but overall, he has looked good, posting a 3.86 ERA.
The righty pitched 10 games in the big leagues last year, making three starts and posting a lackluster 4.89 ERA. However, he offers a good deal of ability to either function out of the bullpen or make spot-starts.
Why did the Dodgers demote Kyle Hurt?
Hurt got off to an amazing start after getting his call-up following Edwin Diaz’s placement on the injured list. He became a trusted arm for manager Dave Roberts; however, he has struggled to get things going lately.
He has a 4.88 ERA, a -0.2 bWAR, and a good sample size to judge him — 31.1 innings.
While the Dodgers are likely still high on Hurt, who got a lot of praise from the organization, they are turning to another arm in hopes of seeing what they have in Knack at this point.
Additionally, Hurt gets the chance to reset in the minor leagues and be one of the top options once injuries come.
Charlie Barnes, who is now designated for assignment and on waivers, gets a chance to find a new home. Considering he has a 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings of work with the Dodgers, he might not get too many looks.
Instead, the Dodgers will likely get the choice to keep him in the fold.
