The Los Angeles Dodgers are working a juggling act leading up to the MLB trade deadline on July 30 as they face a need for starting pitching but also having to make some room in their rotation for the returns of Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw.
Moreover, River Ryan getting an opportunity for his MLB debut earlier this week prompted the team to designate James Paxton for assignment. Paxton and Gavin Stone are the only Dodgers starters to make every turn in the rotation this season.
As the Dodgers look to welcome back Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and potentially Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they reportedly have bolstered their organizational pitching depth.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are signing Jordan Lyles to a Minor League contract:
Hearing Jordan Lyles is signing a minors deal with Dodgers
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 25, 2024
Lyles joining the Dodgers on a Minor League deal affords them some needed flexibility as he will not occupy a 40-man roster spot while presumably reporting to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
But in signing Lyles, the Dodgers have another starter who could not only help pitch for an OKC team that’s been without multiple prospects because of their ascension to the Majors, but also be an option himself for L.A. should something go amiss in their planning or injuries become problematic.
The 33-year-old does figure to need some time to build up as he hasn’t pitched in a game since the middle of April. He was placed on the temporary inactive list April 22 in order to tend to a family matter and transferred to the restricted list the following day.
Lyles was then activated off the restricted list on July 20 and released by the Royals.
Jordan Lyles stats
While Lyles has primarily been a starter, all five of his games this season were out of the Royals bullpen. He pitched five scoreless innings with a 0.80 WHIP.
The Royals signed the right-hander to a two-year, $17 million contract in December 2022 but he struggled mightily last season and lost a spot in the starting rotation this year.
Overall in his career, Lyles is 72-107 with a 5.22 ERA, 4.78 FIP and 1.40 WHIP across parts of 14 seasons.
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