Dodgers Sign Chris Stratton to Contract Amid Mets Series, Bobby Miller Optioned

Faced with a shortage of pitching due to seven starters currently being on the injured list, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed Chris Stratton to bolster their staff.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network first reported Stratton was signing with the Dodgers, where he has joined them in New York to wrap up a three-game series with the Mets on Sunday night.

The Dodgers officially announced the signing, along with optioning Bobby Miller to Triple-A to make room for Stratton on their 40-man roster.

Miller was recalled from Triple-A prior to Saturday's game against the Mets to give the Dodgers an extra arm after their 13-inning win on Friday. The right-hander allowed one run in two innings of relief in a 5-2 loss last night.

Keeping pitchers healthy has been an ongoing issue for the Dodgers, but it seems especially alarming right now. Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, Emmett Sheehan and Kyle Hurt are all out of action.

Snell was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 17, meaning the earliest he can be activated is June 2.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't have any timetable for Snell or Glasnow to return when asked about their situations on May 21.

"They’re both going to be viable options at some point," Roberts said. "I would say Tyler is a tick ahead of Blake, but I still don’t know what that looks like. I really don’t."

Per a May 19 report from Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Glasnow was throwing on flat ground with long tosses from 120 feet and Snell was playing catch from up to 90 feet.

The Dodgers did get good news on Sunday when Shohei Ohtani threw to live hitters for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023.

There's no definite timetable for Ohtani to pitch in games again. The Dodgers' injuries and transactions webpage says it's "likely" to happen after the All-Star break.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers' goal is to have Ohtani ready to pitch in time for the postseason.

Stratton's arrival doesn't necessarily change the timeline for any of these players, but he does give Roberts more depth to play with at a time when the Dodgers really need all the help they can get.

Los Angeles will attempt to rehab the 34-year-old Stratton after a disastrous run with the Kansas City Royals dating back to last season. He had a 6.09 ERA with 82 hits allowed in 75.1 innings over 69 appearances since the start of 2024.

Stratton was officially released by the Royals on May 22, four days after being designated for assignment. He owns a 4.63 career ERA in 371 appearances in 10 MLB seasons.

Despite all of their pitching injuries to start this season, the Dodgers' 32-19 record entering play on Sunday is the second-best mark in the NL.