The Los Angeles Dodgers released Tyler Fitzgerald on Wednesday, which freed up a spot on their 40-man roster.
The Dodgers acquired Fitzgerald from the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this season in exchange for cash considerations. That coincided with Landon Knack getting transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to make room for Fitzgerald on the 40-man roster.
He found a good deal of success during his short time with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .293/.400/.598 with seven doubles and six home runs in 24 games. The 28-year-old was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on April 24. Fitzgerald spent three seasons in the Majors with the San Francisco Giants from 2023-25.
San Francisco drafted Fitzgerald in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Why did Dodgers release Tyler Fitzgerald?
The decision to release Fitzgerald appears to be in advance of putting Will Smith on the 10-day injured list and needing to call up a catcher from the Comets. Another option would have been to transfer a player to the 60-day IL, but that would’ve caused other factors down the line.
The Dodgers initially anticipated Smith being in the lineup on Sunday after he was scratched the day before due to neck stiffness. However, he missed the final two games of the Freeway Series and first two matchups against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Manager Dave Roberts said a stint on the IL became probable for Smith due to lingering discomfort in his neck.
There isn’t clarity on what has caused the pain in Smith’s neck. Roberts added that the discomfort is limited to one side and primarily affects Smith while hitting.
Fitzgerald’s roster spot will now go to Chuckie Robinson. He was chosen over Eliezer Alfonzo, who has yet to make his MLB debut. Robinson spent some time up with the Dodgers last season when Smith or Rushing were dealing with respective injuries.
Robinson will become a third catcher on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, but he does have a Minor League option remaining. That will prove to be beneficial once Smith is recovered and able to come off the injured list.
As for Fitzgerald, he should be able to find a new home as a depth piece due to his Major League experience and with the improvements the Dodgers helped him make at the plate.
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