After designating him for assignment last week to clear space on their 40-man roster, the Baltimore Orioles have officially returned 2018 Rule 5 Draft pick Drew Jackson to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jackson was one of two Dodgers prospects selected by another organization in the Major League phase of the 2018 Rule 5 Draft. The other being Connor Joe, most recently of the rival San Francisco Giants.
The Orioles, who had acquired Jackson from the Philadelphia Phillies immediately after poaching him from the Dodgers organization, were required to roster the 25-year-old for the entire 2019 season. By failing to do so, Baltimore was mandated by MLB rules to offer Jackson back to Los Angeles.
Thus, Jackson’s return to the Dodgers organization further bolsters what is widely considered a top-10 farm system in all of baseball. Last season for Double-A Tulsa, he hit .251/.356/.447 with 20 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs and 46 RBI over 410 plate appearances (103 games).
Jackson built on that success with an excellent showing in Spring Training for the Orioles, batting .316/.355/.386 with one double, one home run and nine RBI across 62 Grapefruit League plate appearances (27 games).
That performance earned Jackson a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster, but he struggled to net much playing time, accumulating only four plate appearances. He did not record a hit, but reached base once via walk.
