LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers, suddenly facing a shortage in their middle infield ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, signed veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed to a major-league deal on Wednesday.
The need surfaced quickly: Miguel Rojas complained of discomfort in his right forearm coming out of the All-Star break that did not improve after a few days of rest, prompting an MRI that revealed a flexor strain. He was placed on the injured list, putting a pause on one of the strongest seasons of the 36-year-old’s career.
The Dodgers called Ahmed — released 14 days ago by the San Francisco Giants – and came to terms. They got the 34-year-old former Gold Glove winner on a flight that landed in Los Angeles by 11:30 a.m. and wrote him into their lineup Wednesday afternoon against his former club.
“I knew that the sign would come quick whenever it did come, so just had to figure out how to stay ready,” Ahmed said after introducing himself to Dodgers staff and going through some infield drills.
The 11-year veteran said he was working out at his home in Arizona and fielding calls from teams before the Dodgers came with a big-league spot to offer.
Dodgers moves:
– Nick Ahmed signed, Miguel Rojas on IL with right forearm tightness
– Tyler Glasnow active, Landon Knack optioned
– Ricky Vanasco DFA— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 24, 2024
Rojas’ timetable for a return is uncertain, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Rojas will require “a handful of days” at a minimum without baseball activity before ramping back up. The issue — which Rojas said stemmed from a one-handed bat drill he incorporated during the All-Star break — has already dragged on longer than expected, though Roberts said it’s something “that Rojas will be able to bounce back from.”
The manager said Ahmed will “lock down shortstop” in the interim until either Rojas or Mookie Betts (on the injured list with a left hand fracture) makes their return off the injured list. Betts has only recently picked up a bat for dry swings.
Roberts didn’t indicate if this could force the Dodgers to look at adding a shortstop before next week’s deadline, though the options aren’t exactly plentiful. Toronto’s Bo Bichette is out until at least August. Willy Adames has been a longtime target but it’s hard to foresee the first-place Brewers moving him. Paul DeJong has supplied power in a resurgent season but still has a .688 OPS for the last-place Chicago White Sox. The Chicago Cubs could be open to moving pieces, but infielder Nico Hoerner is already locked up long-term.
Instead, signing Ahmed pushes the Dodgers further down their middle-infield depth chart after spending much of the winter forecasting a future with Gavin Lux at shortstop. Lux has played just 1 1/3 innings at shortstop and has not logged a start on that side of the infield. Instead, he’s served as the primary second baseman as the Dodgers have seen Betts, Rojas and Kiké Hernández getting starts at short instead.
The group has fared fine. Entering play Wednesday, the Dodgers had the fifth-most FanGraphs WAR of any team in baseball at the position, though much of that was generated by Betts’ MVP-level production at the plate before his injury.
Ahmed was a staple for the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks for the first 10 years of his major-league career. He logged 854 games at shortstop and won two Gold Gloves before the club designated him for assignment during the stretch run.
The Giants inked him to a minor-league deal in February and the veteran made the club’s Opening Day roster, appearing in 51 games with a .581 OPS before the Giants designated him for assignment. Ahmed joked about looking at the Dodgers’ schedule when they came calling to know who he’d see in his first matchup – Ahmed’s former Diamondbacks teammate, Robbie Ray, is scheduled to make his Giants debut in his return from Tommy John surgery on Wednesday night.
Ahmed will bat ninth against Ray.
“Saw it on the calendar and that’s pretty funny, how it came together like that,” Ahmed said. “God’s got a funny sense of humor sometimes.”
(Photo of Nick Ahmed from July 6: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
