When the Dodgers signed right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle to a 2-year, $4.75 million deal in late 2020, they did it knowing that he would likely be unavailable for the 2021 season. Kahnle, 32, underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2020 after appearing in just one game for the Yankees that season.
A few days after tossing 20 pitches against the Nationals on July 26, an MRI revealed that Kahnle had suffered damage to his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow that would require Tommy John surgery. There was a slim chance that Kahnle would be ready to make his Dodgers debut towards the end of the 2021 season, but unfortunately, he couldn’t make a full recovery in time.