Dodgers designate OFs Billy McKinney, Zach Reks for assignment

The Dodgers have filled their 40-man roster, adding five players to their roster in advance of the Rule 5 deadline per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio. The players being added are infielders Jacob Amaya, Eddys Leonard and Jorbit Vivas, outfielder James Outman and right-handed pitcher Michael Grove. In corresponding moves, outfielders Billy McKinney and Zach Reks have been designated for assignment.

Each of Amaya, Leonard and Vivas appeared on the back half of the Dodgers’ midseason top 30 prospects ranking at Baseball America. Amaya is a well-regarded middle infielder but struggled offensively in Double-A this past season. Leonard and Vivas haven’t yet advanced beyond High-A, but they’re both infielders with good low minors numbers and some offensive upside.

The Dodgers acquired McKinney from the Mets in July. He struggled mightily down the stretch with L.A., however, and his overall .192/.280/.358 line over 300 plate appearances with three teams was well below-average. McKinney draws a fair number of walks, but he’s never quite tapped into enough power to offset high strikeout totals and a limited defensive profile. He’ll either be traded or waived in the coming days.

Reks made a brief big-league debut in 2021, tallying 10 plate appearances over six games. He spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he raked at a .280/.382/.539 clip in 379 plate appearances. Reks is already 28 and has essentially no big-league body of work, but it’s possible another club takes a shot on his strong track record of minor-league performance. He still has a pair of minor-league option years remaining.