Outfielder Jake Marisnick was placed on the 60-day injured list Tuesday with a hamstring injury. He was previously on the 10-day injured list. Marisnick will be sidelined until at least mid-September.
The Dodgers acquired Marisnick just weeks ago, signing the free agent after he was removed from the Detroit Tigers' 40-man roster.
Marisnick was hitting .237 on the season with 2 home runs and 10 RBI. He went 2-for-5 at the plate with the Dodgers before suffering the injury.
He was moved to the 60-day IL to clear room on the 40-man roster, as the Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Gus Varland, a 26-year-old who has struggled at times in the big leagues this season. While he held a 3.46 ERA across 39 innings in the minors, his MLB number didn't live up to expectations.
Sporting an 11.42 ERA and a 2.65 WHIP with the Milwaukee Brewers, on paper, Varland looks like an unreliable reliever. However, Varland hasn't made a major-league appearance since May 15, and his ERA is inflated by an ugly 9-run, 0.2 inning performance that caused the Brewers to designate him for assignment. He had only allowed 2 runs in his other prior appearances.
The Dodgers are in good position to make another playoff run and are playing some of their best baseball all season. Their bullpen has somewhat rebounded after being one of the worst in MLB. They now hold the 14th-worst ERA in the league at 4.05.
Currently riding an eight-game winning streak, the Dodgers are set to face Varland's former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Perhaps Varland will get a chance to avenge his demotion against his most recent team.
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