The Los Angeles Dodgers sent seven players to Minor League camp for a second consecutive day, as Spring Training roster cuts become more necessary in advance of setting an Opening Day roster.
Following Monday’s win over the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers optioned Zach McKinstry, DJ Peters, Luke Raley and Keibert Ruiz, and reassigned Jacob Amaya, Omar Estevez and Brett de Geus. The Dodgers have 44 players (22 pitchers, 22 position players) remaining in big league camp.
Amaya has appeared in 15 games but failed to make much of an impact. This year represents his first extended opportunity in Spring Training.
de Geus is 0-1 but has only allowed two runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings pitched across six relief appearances.
Estevez has enjoyed a productive spring, batting .296/.321/.593 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBI over 11 games. He scored a run in the Dodgers’ blowout of the Padres. Estevez missed a brief stretch of days because of right shoulder trouble.
McKinstry has been among the standouts in camp thus far, batting .407/.448/.778 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and six RBI. All the while he’s provided positional flexibility as well.
“Zach’s an interesting player. He’s really performed himself into being a real guy as far as being on the (40-man) roster and one of the prospects. Guys like that, you really pull for,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said.
“He’s a baseball player. He can play anywhere on the diamond. He’s an intelligent player, he conducts really good at-bats. A guy that can play shortstop, stick him in right field, put him back at short, and take a good at-bat. He’s a guy that I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw him some time this year.”
Peters drew a walk and scoring a run in two plate appearances on Monday. The Dodgers added Peters to their 40-man roster last November to protect him from potentially being selected in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft.
The Glendora, Calif., native is among the prospects who may make his MLB debut this season.
Raley, originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2016 and re-acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, has also enjoyed modest success. His six RBI are tied with McKinstry for third-most on the team.
Ruiz was delayed in making his 2020 debut due to making a mechanical change to his swing. The Dodgers aimed to shorten Ruiz’s swing path to the ball and initially kept the young catcher out of Cactus League games in effort to avoid old habits resurfacing.
Ruiz replaced Barnes in Monday’s game and struck out in his lone at-bat. Ruiz has just three hits and two RBI in 16 at-bats over six games played.
On Sunday, the Dodgers optioned Josh Sborz, and reassigned Tyler Gilbert, Kyle Lobstein, Marshall Kasowski, Jordan Sheffield, Stevie Berman and Cristian Santana to Minor League camp. Victor Gonzalez and Mitchell White were previously optioned, and Josiah Gray and Edwin Uceta were reassigned.
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