The Los Angeles Dodgers signed veteran reliever Zach McAllister to a Minor League deal. He was added to the Triple-A Oklahoma City roster.
The 30-year-old was a third-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2006 but broke into the big leagues in 2011 as a starter for the Cleveland Indians. After spending three seasons as a starter for Cleveland, he made the move to the bullpen in 2015 and became a mainstay there.
McAllister has had a bit of a rough 2018 season though, which led to him being released by the Indians earlier this month. He then signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers but was designated for assignment on Aug. 18.
That came after just three appearances with the club, and the right-hander wound up electing for free agency as opposed to accepting a Minor League assignment.
In 44 games between the Indians and Tigers this season, McAllister has pitched to a combined 6.20 ERA, 4.47 FIP and 1.49 WHIP while striking out 39 and walking 10 in 45 total innings.
The 2017 season was probably his best in the Majors, as McAllister yielded a 2.61 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 62 innings pitched for the Indians. He holds a 4.09 ERA in 280 career Major League games (591.2 innings).
It is no secret that the Dodgers bullpen has struggled in 2018, particularly in the last few weeks.
With rosters set to expand in less than a week, it is possible that he gets a shot to help out that bullpen although he will need to show that he can get back on track at the Triple-A level first.
