The Los Angeles Dodgers removed Rocky Gale from the 40-man roster but were able to keep the catcher in the organization and outright him to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Gale signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers in 2018 and has spent a limited amount of time at the Major League level the last two seasons. In five games for the Dodgers this year, he is 2-for-15 (.133 batting average) with a run scored.
The 31-year-old has spent a majority of the season with Oklahoma City, where he is batting .250/.303/.370 with four doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI in 30 games.
Gale was called up as a third catcher when rosters expanded in September 2018, but with him being outrighted, that is unlikely to happen again this season barring a significant amount of injuries.
The Dodgers currently have their two top catching prospects in Will Smith and Keibert Ruiz at Oklahoma City, so Gale will likely serve as a third catcher until Smith gets called up to the big leagues.
Catching has been a bit of an issue for the Dodgers this season, with both Austin Barnes and Russell Martin struggling at the plate. Although L.A. has continued to move ahead for the time being, that likely will be a driving factor behind Smith getting recalled at some point.
The Dodgers designating Gale for assignment carries significance because they were able to open up another spot on the 40-man roster with the July 31 trade deadline just around the corner. They previously cleared one when Zac Rosscup was also DFA’d.
Los Angeles is expected to be active on the relief market to help bolster their bullpen, and they now have two 40-man roster spots available for added flexibility in potential trades.
