In need of a roster spot to activate Franklin Gutierrez off the disabled list earlier this week, the Los Angeles Dodgers demoted Scott Van Slyke to Triple-A Oklahoma City. While Van Slyke offers more defensive versatility, he and Gutierrez are similar in the sense of their value lying with hitting left-handed pitching.
However, Van Slyke struggled in that role, which was an extension of his subpar production in 2015 and 2016. Last season, back and wrist injuries limited him to 52 games. “Slykie has been a mainstay here for a number of years and has gone through a lot physically,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in the wake of optioning Van Slyke.