Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced, or confirmed, Franklin Gutierrez and Adam Liberatore will each remain on the 60-day disabled list for the final month of the 2017 season. Thus, neither will receive consideration for a spot on the postseason roster.
Both players were limited this season due to multiple injuries and were thought to be long shots to return, though Liberatore began a rehab assignment with the Arizona League Dodgers late last month.
He issued one walk and struck out two while facing the minimum in his lone inning of work. The game was Liberatore’s first since May 30.
The 30-year-old was placed on the 10-day disabled list June 1 (retroactive to May 31) with left forearm tightness, then was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 28 with an updated diagnosis of a left elbow strain.
Liberatore allowed just one run on three hits, while recording five strikeouts against two walks in 3.1 innings across four relief appearances with the Dodgers. He pitched in three games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 0-1 with a 0.93 ERA.
This is now a second straight season Liberatore will not join the Dodgers for the playoffs, as he underwent an arthroscopic left elbow debridement last October, which ended his 2016 campaign.
With Liberatore joining Grant Dayton (Tommy John surgery) in not being available, the Dodgers are left to decide between Luis Avilan, Tony Cingrani, Tony Watson, Edward Paredes and perhaps Hyun-Jin Ryu as their southpaw reliever(s) for the postseason.
Gutierrez’s first stint on the disabled list this season came in April, because of a mild hamstring strain. He was put back on the DL in June due to ankylosis spondylitis.
Last month, Roberts expressed some hope the outfielder would go on a rehab assignment, but was not overly optimistic. Gutierrez was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 4.
Appearing in 35 games (14 starts), he batted .232/.317/.339 with three doubles, one home run and eight RBI in only 63 plate appearances. Gutierrez signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers in February.
His deal included a $100,000 bonus each for 400 and 450 plate appearances, and a $200,000 bonus for 500 plate appearances. Health has been an issue for the 34-year-old since the 2011 season.
“With what he’s been going through physically, there’s good days and bad days,” Roberts said in August.
