The Dodgers are placing Garrett Cleavinger on the IL with a right oblique strain, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Taking his place on the roster will be Justin Bruihl. The club had an open spot on the 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move is not necessary.
Bruihl, an undrafted free agent out of California Polytechnic State University, is a 24-year-old lefty. He pitched 15 Double-A innings this year with an ERA of 1.20, earning himself a promotion to Triple-A. In 22 2/3 innings there, he has an ERA of 3.57. He has excellent strikeout and walk rates at both levels.
For Cleavinger, this is yet another bounce in a season full of them. He’s been optioned four times, and this will be his second IL stint. In 18 MLB innings this year, he has an ERA of 3.o0, with a decent strikeout rate of 25%, but an elevated walk rate of 14.3%.
In other Dodgers news, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that Gavin Lux is about to begin a rehab assignment and that Corey Knebel is expected to be activated Tuesday. Lux has been out since mid-July with a hamstring injury. There might not be much room for him in the middle infield once he’s healthy, given that Corey Seager is back and has been joined by newly acquired Trea Turner. In 313 plate appearances this year, Lux has a slash line of .227/.307/.349, for a wRC+ of 83.
The return of Knebel will be most welcome, since the Dodgers bullpen has been weathering a slew of injuries lately. The righty has thrown only six innings this year on account of a lat strain but can be a potent weapon when healthy. From 2015 to 2018, he threw 214 1/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s ’pen, with an ERA of 3.02 and a massive strikeout rate of 35%. But health has been the big issue in recent years, as he’s thrown only 19 1/3 innings since that time due to various injuries.
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