The Dodgers were facing a “tough” roster decision with Mookie Betts set to come off the injured list.
Alex Freeland wound up getting the short end of the stick.
To make room for Betts on the roster, Freeland is being optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City, according to a source.
He goes down after hitting .235 with a .646 OPS in 33 games to begin the season.
Freeland was one of three players who seemed in danger of being demoted, along with fellow infielders Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal.
Kim has been the most productive of the bunch, batting .289 since being called up from triple-A when Betts first got hurt. Espinal is hitting only .188 this year, but doesn’t have any minor-league options remaining, meaning he would have had to be designated for assignment –– and subjected to waivers –– if he were removed from the club’s active roster.
Freeland, a switch-hitting former third-round draft pick, has struggled to find consistent success at the major-league level since making his debut midway through last season.
He hit .190 in 29 games last year, and finished the campaign back in triple-A after being demoted in early September.
While the Dodgers could have kept both Freeland and Kim –– both of whom are still developing offensively in their second big-league seasons –– finding consistent playing time for both of them moving forward would’ve been difficult.
With Betts back as the everyday shortstop, their only regular opportunities would have been in a part-time role platooning at second base.
Now, all of those at-bats figure to go Kim. Espinal, meanwhile, will keep his job as the last man on the bench, serving as a veteran presence who won’t be as affected by getting limited chances to play.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
