Dodgers Roster News: Braves Claim LA Utility Man Luke Williams on Waivers
The Atlanta Braves have claimed former Dodgers utility man Luke Williams on waivers. The 26-year-old appeared in four games with the Dodgers this season, going 1-for-10 with three strikeouts.
The Atlanta Braves have claimed former Dodgers infielder Luke Williams.
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) June 5, 2023
He finishes his Dodger career with one hit in 10 at-bats.
This move somewhat comes out of nowhere, as there was no indication from the Dodgers that they were trying to move Williams. However, clearly they tried to get him off the 40-man roster by pushing him through waivers, but the Braves were having none of it.
Now, Williams heads to Atlanta, and the Dodgers have an open spot on the 40-man roster.
It was unlikely that Williams was going to be back with the Dodgers at any point this season, unless there was a major rash of injuries. So while it’s a bummer to lose him for nothing, the open spot on the 40-man roster could be pretty valuable down the road.
The Dodgers are nearing the returns of multiple guys from the 60-day injured list in the coming weeks and months, so at some point they would have had to clear room on the 40-man roster. The guy closest to a return could be RHP Alex Reyes, who told DodgersNation.com at spring training that he was targeting a June or July return. Hopefully we get an update from Dave Roberts on Reyes soon, but maybe he could fill that spot if he’s, in fact, close to a return.
If not, the Dodgers will likely be strategic in how they fill that spot. But either way, it’s never a bad thing when you have an open 40-man spot, especially replacing someone who likely wasn’t going to be playing with the team again this season.
We wish the best of luck to Williams in Atlanta, and we’ll continue to update you when we learn more about what the Dodgers may do with that open spot on the 40-man roster.
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