The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they have outrighted Yoshi Tsutsugo and he will remain with the organization at Triple-A Oklahoma City after going unclaimed off waivers by any team.
The move removes the 29-year-old Tsutsugo from the 40-man roster and opens up a spot to add someone as he had been on the 10-day injured list. Tsutsugo was originally placed on the IL with a right calf strain on June 9.
Tsutsugo began a rehab assignment in the middle of June, so the Dodgers were going to be forced would’ve been forced to activate him on Wednesday as position players can only stay on a rehab assignment for 20 days.
Manager Dave Roberts previously said the Dodgers planned to activate Tsutsugo when he was ready to rejoin the club, however with the team relying on multiple bullpen games a week, they likely opted to carry extra pitchers.
Tsutsugo was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on May 15 when he was designated for assignment after hitting .167/.244/.218 in 26 games because the Dodgers believed they could help him find some of the success that made him a star in Japan.
In his 10 seasons playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Tsutsugo hit 205 home runs with a .910 on-base plus slugging percentage. However, Tsutsugo still struggled for L.A. as he batted .120/.290/.120 in 12 games before being placed on the IL.
Keeping him in Triple-A will give Tsutsugo a longer opportunity to work out his struggles because swing changes can be a lengthy process.
Gonsolin felt more like himself
Tony Gonsolin, who missed two months with shoulder fatigue, was activated on June 9 but struggled in his first few starts.
After pitching 5.1 scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins on July 6, Gonsolin said he felt more normal on the mound despite his drop in velocity.
“Yeah, I definitely felt more like myself, Gonsolin said. “Velo was down still a little bit, but that will come back with time.”
The Dodgers will need Gonsolin to step up down the stretch as the team only has three active starting pitchers.
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