While the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the final stages of setting their starting rotation and pitching staff, there are questions that must be addressed for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers’ top affiliate will be without Brock Stewart and Julio Urias when the 2017 season begins.
Chase De Jong and Jose De Leon were both traded, removing two additional options for the starting rotation. It’s presumed Ross Stripling also will not be in OKC come Opening Day. Los Angeles reportedly signed Justin Masterson to a Minor League deal on Monday, in effort to bolster depth.
Now the club appears to have signed Jair Jurrjens on a Minor League contract, per Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America:
Source: Jair Jurrjens to sign with #Dodgers on a minor league deal.
— Hudson Belinsky (@hudsonbelinsky) March 29, 2017
Jurrjens last pitched in the Majors in 2014 with the Colorado Rockies. He’s a lifetime 53-38 with a 3.72 ERA, 4.03 FIP and 1.34 WHIP over parts of eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Rockies.
The bulk of Jurrjens’ experience came with the Braves (2008-12). The right-hander was named an All-Star in 2011, and finished the season 13-6 with a 2.96 ERA.
Jurrjens’ last time pitching came in 2015, when he went 2-5 with a 6.88 ERA in 17 games (14 starts) for the Rockies’ Triple-A Albuquerque affiliate. Outside of being part of an MLB organization, Jurrjens went 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in three games (two starts) for Netherlands in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
