The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to sign right-hander Jordan Lyles to a minor league contract, according to a report by Jon Heyman of The New York Post on X. Lyles, a veteran pitcher, may require some time to ramp up as he hasn’t competed in an official game since April.
Lyles, aged 33, began the season with the Kansas City Royals under a two-year, $17 million deal that started in 2023. He started 31 games for the Royals but struggled with a high 6.28 earned run average.
Despite initially pitching out of the rotation, he was edged out during Spring Training in 2024 when Alec Marsh secured the fifth starter spot behind Cole Ragans, Brady Singer, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha. Lyles began the current season with five scoreless relief appearances but has been inactive since April 22 due to personal family matters. Recently reinstated from the restricted list by the Royals, he was subsequently released, leaving Kansas City responsible for the remainder of his contract.
With ongoing rotation challenges including injuries to key pitchers like Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw’s delayed season debut, the Dodgers are looking to bolster their pitching depth. Despite their need for external additions, bringing in a seasoned player like Lyles offers valuable insurance. Lyles, known for his durability with minimal injury history, last hit the 60-day Injured List in 2015 and maintained a solid performance as a back-end rotation option in previous seasons. Once he regains game fitness, Lyles will provide additional depth for the Dodgers’ roster.
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