The Dodgers are calling up right-hander Dinelson Lamet, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The righty is not currently on the 40-man roster and will require a corresponding move.
Lamet, 31, had to settle for a minor league deal this offseason after increasing struggles in recent seasons. Though he looked like one of the better pitchers in the league in the shortened 2020 season, his ERA jumped in each campaign after that. But he appeared to be in good form during Spring Training with the Dodgers, as he made four appearances with just one earned run allowed. He struck out five batters, walked just one and got grounders on 60% of balls in play.
If he were to get even partially back on track, it would be a nice find for the Dodgers. Lamet made 12 starts for the Padres in 2020 with a 2.09 earned run average, 34.8% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young voting. But he missed the postseason due to biceps tightness and the health issues continued beyond that season.
He dealt with some forearm issues in 2021, with the ailment being labeled as tightness, fatigue and inflammation at various times. He also underwent a procedure for a hip infection that year. He made 22 appearances but only nine of them were starts as the Friars gradually moved him more to a relief role as he battled those issues, his ERA ticking up to 4.40 in the process.
His struggles worsened in 2022 and he got flipped to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader deal. Milwaukee quickly put him on waivers, indicating his inclusion in the trade was mostly for financial reasons. He was claimed by the Rockies and finished the year with a 6.12 ERA. He split time between the Rockies and Red Sox in 2023 but his ERA jumped all the way to 11.41. His strikeout rate had fallen to 22.1% while his walk rate climbed to 15.9%.
The Dodgers will obviously be hoping to see that trend reversed and have Lamet in better form than that. He has more than five years of service time and can’t be optioned, meaning he’ll have to stick on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely at some future point.
