Right-handed Dodgers Connor Brogdon was not claimed off waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to a transaction document on MLB.com. He opted for minor league free agency. The move clears a spot on LA’s 40-man roster ahead of next week’s Rule 5 defense deadline.
Brogdon, 29, appeared in just one game with the Dodgers this season, allowing two runs in one inning. Los Angeles acquired him from the Phillies in an April trade after he was assigned to Philadelphia. (The Dodgers sent the league’s top left-hander Benny Robles otherwise.)
Brogdon hit the 15-day injured list with plantar fasciitis a few days after the Dodgers’ debut, and the issue appeared to be severe enough that he never returned to the active roster. Brogdon initially went on a rehab assignment a few weeks after his initial IL placement, but the Dodgers scrapped that effort and placed him on the 60-day IL. He began another rehab assignment in August but did not return before the end of the season.
Before his time with the Dodgers organization, Brogdon looked like an up and coming prospect in Philadelphia. The former 10th round pick only signed for a $5K bonus out of the draft but pitched in the big leagues over a three year period, looking sharp to start his MLB tenure. From 2020-22, Brogdon turned in a combined 3.42 ERA in 113 innings, striking out one-third of his opponents against a 7.3% walk rate in that span. Brogdon averaged 95.8 mph in his heater, and while he struggled with groin and elbow issues, he generally delivered strong results.
He has managed just 32 innings in the majors since then. In addition to the foot injury that ended his 2024 season, Brogdon saw his command, strikeout rate, velocity and other key stats all trend in the wrong direction in 2023. The Phillies sent him to Triple-A to rehab, but he’s rocking an ERA north of 5.00 there with a walk rate of about 13%.
Brogdon’s rehab work at Triple-A this season has been solid, albeit in a small sample of 13 innings. He held opponents to five runs (3.46 ERA) with a whopping 33.9% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate. His fastball, however, was way down from 96 mph, instead sitting at 93.8 mph in that brief appearance in Oklahoma City. He’ll carry a career 3.97 ERA in 145 major league innings with him on the market, so Brogdon should generate plenty of interest as long as his foot is healthy.
Source link
