The Los Angeles Dodgers transferred Adam Liberatore to the 60-day disabled list to create room on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Luke Farrell. The Dodgers sent cash considerations to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Farrell, who recently was designated for assignment.
Friday’s paper move changes little for Liberatore other than make Sunday, July 30, the earliest date he can return. Liberatore was placed on the 10-day disabled list June 1 (retroactive to May 31) with left forearm tightness.
The Dodgers have since diagnosed Liberatore with a left elbow strain. Prior to the All-Star break Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Liberatore was slowly recovering at Camelback Ranch and not near a return.
He’d undergone an MRI that Roberts said did not reveal any injury other than a forearm strain. The second-year manager reiterated this week that the 30-year-old was not yet on any sort of throwing program.
Liberatore has only appeared in four games with the Dodgers this season, allowing one run on three hits, with five strikeouts against two walks in 3.1 innings. He’s 0-1 with a 0.93 ERA in three games with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
This is now a second consecutive season for Liberatore that’s been thrown off course due to injury. He set a franchise record last year by recording 24 consecutive scoreless relief appearances, only to fall victim to elbow and knee injuries.
Liberatore eventually underwent an arthroscopic left elbow debridement that ended his 2016 campaign.
