The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Tony Watson prior to the series opener against the Atlanta Braves, and optioned fellow left-handed reliever Edward Paredes to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Watson, who was acquired Monday from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Minor Leaguers Angel German and Oneil Cruz, will wear No. 33 with the Dodgers. He went 5-3 with 10 saves, seven blown saves, a 3.66 ERA, 4.69 FIP and 1.52 WHIP over 47 relief appearances with the Pirates.
Among relievers with 250 innings pitched since the 2013 season, Watson ranks first in wins (24), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.72), and fourth in ERA (2.42) and WHIP (1.05).
What’s more, he’s seventh in opponents’ batting average (.227) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.623) and ninth in saves (30) during that same span.
Watson allowed two runs on three hits and struck out a batter in two-thirds of an inning in his lone appearance at SunTrust Park.
Paredes returns to Oklahoma City after joining the Dodgers on July 24, making his MLB debut that night, and appearing in a second game six days later. Paredes’ debut coincided with the 30-year-old earning his first win as the Dodgers erased a deficit in the eighth inning.
Paredes began the season with Double-A Tulsa and went 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 24 games prior to receiving a promotion. In six games with Oklahoma City, he’s 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA. The Dodgers selected Paredes in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft.
He’s previously spent parts of nine seasons in the farm systems of the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
