Dodgers Sign Jonathan Hernández

The Dodgers announced they’ve added reliever Jonathan Hernández back to the big league club. Landon Knack was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to open a bullpen spot. It’s a quick turnaround for Hernández. He was just designated for assignment on Monday. Hernández cleared outright waivers today, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He elected free agency in a procedural move and signed a new big league contract. It is important to note that Hernández was dropped from the 40-man roster and cleared waivers. Pitchers who are optioned (meaning they don’t go through waivers) must spend at least 15 days in the minors unless they’re being called back up to replace an injured player. The outright and re-sign route avoids that rule. Hernández is out of options and needs to clear waivers every time he’s dropped from an MLB roster, but no other club wanted to give him a bullpen spot. This is Hernández’s third MLB stint since the Dodgers first picked him up in May. He’d pitched well for the Phillies’ top affiliate to get L.A.’s attention. Hernández hasn’t been especially effective at the MLB level this year, allowing a 6.45 ERA with subpar strikeout and walk marks over 22 1/3 innings. Most of the damage came earlier in the year, as Hernández reeled off 4 2/3 frames of scoreless ball in his most recent week-long major league stint. L.A. didn’t announce a corresponding 40-man roster move, but their transaction tracker indicates they outrighted lefty Charlie Barnes. The southpaw was called up on Monday, didn’t make an appearance, and was optioned a day later when the Dodgers activated Blake Snell. Barnes has the right to elect free agency and will probably do so, even if just to renegotiate a new minor league arrangement with the Dodgers. View Comments (0)