Dodgers make surprising roster decision ahead of Royals clash

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a surprising roster decision ahead of their game on Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals.

“The Dodgers recalled RHP Landon Knack and optioned RHP Seth Halvorsen,” the team announced.

Pitching depth is not a concern for the Dodgers. Halvorsen has pitched to an overall 4.74 ERA, but he’s had some good moments. Most recently, the right-hander turned in a scoreless inning against the Royals in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win on Tuesday.

As for Knack, he’s only made two appearances with the Dodgers in 2026. He struggled across 10 outings (seven starts) last season, turning in a 4.89 ERA. The 29-year-old does have a 2.60 ERA in five games pitched at Triple-A this season, however.

Still, the decision to promote him and option Halvorsen is surprising. Halvorsen had not appeared in a big league game since late June, and it seemed as if Los Angeles was going to give him an opportunity in the bullpen down the stretch. Instead, he is being optioned after only one outing.

Nevertheless, it would not be surprising to see him back in the bullpen at some point during the ’26 campaign.

The Dodgers are looking to build off of Tuesday’s win. It was a quality game that saw Blake Snell return from injury and Max Muncy give the Dodgers a walk-off victory. While the ball club has not played its best all-around baseball in recent action, the Dodgers are beginning to trend in the right direction once again.

First pitch for the contest on Wednesday night is scheduled for 10:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium.