The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a six-player transaction before their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Among them was outfielder Alek Thomas, who was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. His roster spot will go to Will Smith, who was activated from the 60-day injured list.
The Dodgers were very busy, with rosters expanding to 28 players. The club has chosen to use those spots on Smith and Justin Wrobleski. This marks the healthiest the Dodgers’ roster has been all season.
Los Angeles is hoping to clinch a Wild Card round bye this year. They enter September one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the loss column. So the club controls its destiny for getting the National League’s No. 2 seed, even though the Braves have the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Dodgers Demote Outfielder Alek Thomas to Triple-A
The Dodgers brought up Alek Thomas from Triple-A in the wake of Andy Pages‘ hand injury. Los Angeles acquired the former Diamondbacks outfielder in May. After reworking his swing at the complex, he spent the rest of the year with Oklahoma City.
Thomas’ first stint with the Dodgers will be short-lived. He got into seven games, slashing .211/.250/.263 at the plate across 20 plate appearances. While certainly not a large sample size, the Dodgers will turn to other options in center field while they wait for Pages to return.
The 26-year-old will report to Oklahoma City. He’ll play there while waiting for his next opportunity with the Dodgers.
In 54 games with the Comets before his call-up, he slashed .297/.361/.498 with seven home runs. By the measure of wRC+, his 116 mark was estimated to be 16% better than the average Pacific Coast League hitter.
What the Alek Thomas Demotion Means for the Dodgers
Sending Alek Thomas down to the minors opens up a bit of a roster hole in center field for the Dodgers. At the minimum, it means the 26-year-old outfielder cannot return to the major league roster for 10 days, except to replace an injured player.
It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers try to fill it. The options they have include Tommy Edman and Alex Call. In fact, they may platoon the center field position between those two. Edman would start against right-handers and Call against left-handers.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Edman will be reduced to a platoon bat. His defensive versatility gives the Dodgers options to play him at any infield or outfield position.
The Dodgers may consider bringing up Alek Thomas in some situations in the future. He may be more valuable if the club needs to start the postseason in the Wild Card round, where a pinch runner or extra defender could make a larger impact.
However, their postseason fate could be determined by how quickly Andy Pages recovers from his injury and gets up to speed.
Dodgers Demote 26-Year-Old Outfielder Amid Will Smith News