Heath Hembree, who the Los Angeles Dodgers designated for assignment on Sept. 13, elected free agency after clearing waivers rather than accepting a Minor League assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers originally designated Eddy Alvarez for assignment on Aug. 30 to make room on the 40-man roster for Hembree. He was then pushed off the roster when Tommy Kahnle was activated off the 60-day injured list.
Hembree appeared in six games and earned a win in his Dodgers debut against the New York Mets on Sept. 1. Overall, the 33-year-old posted a 7.94 ERA, 5.22 FIP and 2.12 WHIP in 5.2 innings with the Dodgers while striking out 7.94 batters per nine and walking 4.76 per nine.
The right-hander previously pitched at the Major League level with the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season, and he has also pitched for the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Mets during his career.
Across his career, Hembree has pitched to a 4.39 ERA, 4.67 FIP and 1.39 WHIP in 354.2 innings. The veteran reliever went 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 games for Oklahoma City after signing a Minor League contract with the Dodgers at the end of June.
Hembree is free to sign with any team now, but he is ineligible to play in the postseason as players are required to be in a team’s organization prior to Sept. 1.
Dodgers pick up Daniel Hudson’s 2023 option
Daniel Hudson signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers during the offseason and ended up becoming a key bullpen arm before tearing his ACL in late June.
At 35 years old, Hudson is nearing the end of his career, but he hoped the injury would not be the last memory of his time in the league. Still, it was unclear what his future would hold with his health in question and no contract guaranteed for the 2023 season.
But on Thursday, the Dodgers provided Hudson with a bit more clarity as they reportedly picked up their team option for the 2023 season, which also will include another option for 2024.
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