The Los Angeles Dodgers have cut ties with Tyler Fitzgerald, an infield utility player, whom they got via trade from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fitzgerald has been with the Oklahoma City Comets, where he has appeared in 24 games, along with 82 at-bats.
He hit .293/.400/.598 with three stolen bases, 22 strikeouts, 14 walks, 22 RBIs, and six HRs. Fitzgerald also has eight doubles.
His departure frees up a spot on the 40-man roster, allowing the Dodgers to add a catcher to the mix with Will Smith looking at a possible injured list stint.
The Dodgers’ release of Fitzgerald must certainly hurt the organization, which has seen a player who was really struggling to hit the ball turn things around.
Fitzgerald stuck around because of his glove, fielding the ball well and playing multiple positions on the diamond.
Los Angeles has long loved this kind of versatility, eyeing players like Hyeseong Kim, Kike Hernandez, and Tommy Edman over the years, who can all fill multiple roles for a team and stick on the roster.
What does this move mean for the Dodgers?
The Dodgers are clearly preparing for a Will Smith injury. He is out of the lineup again on Wednesday, making it his fourth straight game on the bench.
He has neck stiffness, which Dave Roberts originally seemed to brush off as not needing an injured list stint. However, the chances of that have grown over the past few days.
“I think that now the IL is more of a possibility when you’re talking about a position player — it’s 10 days, and then the backdate comes into play,” Roberts said before Tuesday’s game. “We’re starting to talk about that.”
Having only one able catcher is untenable for much longer, as a single ankle tweak or a hit-by-pitch could be a disaster for the Dodgers.
Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, this means he needs to make way, but if he can hold on to the changes he made with the Dodgers to his swing, a major league shot is well within reach.
