NewsDodgers make flurry of roster moves
Stults, Ellis, Jones optioned with Manny's return on horizon
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
07/01/09 7:28 PM ET
LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers made a handful of personnel moves Wednesday, in part to prepare the roster for the Friday return of suspended outfielder Manny Ramirez.In the morning, they activated hurler Eric Stults from the 15-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque. Now healed after a sprained left thumb, Stults will start regularly, either to earn another shot at the Dodgers' fifth-starter spot or to showcase his talents to other teams with the month's-end Trade Deadline approaching.
After Wednesday's game, the club also optioned third-string catcher A.J. Ellis to Albuquerque and designated for assignment outfielder Mitch Jones. Ellis will continue catching regularly and will likely get a September callup.
Jones enters a 10-day window during which he can be claimed by another club, traded or released. His move was necessitated by the need to clear a 40-man roster spot for Ramirez, who did not count against the roster total during his suspension.
More moves than just activating Ramirez must be made Friday. The Minor League rehab assignment for pitcher Claudio Vargas and his sprained right elbow is up, and he is expected to be activated to replace Ellis on the 25-man active roster. A 40-man spot would be needed for him, possibly by moving reliever Hong-Chih Kuo from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Without being activated, Vargas could declare free agency. Before that happens, management wants to see if he can help on the Major League level.
Adding Vargas, however, will create an imbalance in the roster, leaving only four position players on the bench (Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, Juan Castro and Juan Pierre) while bringing the total of active pitchers to 13, four of them long relievers (Jeff Weaver, James McDonald, Eric Milton and Vargas) with two off-days in the next five days and the club using only four starters until July 11.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
