Padres release veteran 2B Dozier

The Padres released veteran second baseman Brian Dozier on Saturday, an expected move as they inch closer to settling on their Opening Day roster.

Dozier wasn't included in San Diego's 60-man player pool for 2020, and he would have been allowed to opt out of his contract on July 18. The 33-year-old signed a Minor League deal with the Padres in February.

Dozier hit .238 with 20 home runs and 50 RBIs in 135 games for the Nationals last season -- his sixth straight season with at least 20 homers -- but got limited playing time during Washington's World Series run.

The Padres are expected to add to their player pool in the coming days, but the focus of those additions will likely be relief help.

Internally, the Padres had come to the conclusion that Dozier was no longer a serious part of their second-base mix, with Jurickson Profar and Greg Garcia expected to get the bulk of the reps there. Last month’s trade for Jorge Mateo seemingly sealed Dozier’s fate.

Dozier, an All-Star with the Twins in 2015 and a Gold Glove Award winner in '17, is a career .245 hitter with 192 home runs and a .768 OPS over eight Major League seasons.