The Los Angeles Dodgers added outfield depth for the stretch run in the face of injury concerns late Monday night in the form of Justin Ruggiano.
The team’s official Twitter account noted that Los Angeles had acquired the outfielder from the Seattle Mariners “in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.”
Seattle designated Ruggiano for assignment in June after he struggled in 81 plate appearances. He hit .214 with two home runs and three RBI and failed to establish himself as a consistent threat in the lineup.
The 33-year-old then hit .296 with 10 homers for Triple-A Tacoma after he cleared waivers, and the hope in Los Angeles is that he will carry over those solid minor league numbers into the occasional September appearance.
Interestingly, the Dodgers selected Ruggiano in the 25th round of the 2004 MLB draft, although he never reached the major league level with the team.
Monday’s trade wasn’t a splashy move from the National League West-leading club, but Mark Saxon of ESPN.com pointed to Joc Pederson’s recent struggles as a potential reason for the acquisition:
Entering play Monday, Pederson boasted a .106 batting average in August with two home runs and four RBI. Perhaps major league pitching has figured out the 23-year-old, and Ruggiano is an insurance policy if Pederson cannot readjust to his opponents’ adjustments.
If nothing else, Ruggiano could serve as a right-handed-hitting option off the bench when left-handed relief pitchers enter the game in the late innings to face Pederson. From 2012 to 2014, Ruggiano demonstrated success against southpaws and hit .288 with 18 homers and a .357 on-base percentage.
What’s more, the Dodgers currently have Yasiel Puig and Enrique Hernandez on the disabled list, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, and could use additional outfield depth for September as they attempt to hold off the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the division.
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