Tsutsugo debuts; Belli off to Triple-A

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers’ most notable move over the weekend was coming to terms with future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols on a one-year deal. But one move that has the Dodgers excited is their trade for infielder/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo, who was acquired from the Rays on Saturday for cash considerations or a player to be named.

Tsutsugo made his Dodgers debut on Tuesday, hitting seventh and playing left field against the D-backs.

“This is a really good acquisition for the Dodgers,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Yoshi hasn’t really had any traction here in the States, but this is a professional ballplayer and so our baseball ops guys did a real great job of kind of digging in on Yoshi as the person, the ballplayer and the bat and the versatility.”

Tsutsugo, 29, was one of the best sluggers in Japan during his time with the Yokohama BayStars, but he hasn’t been able to recreate that success since making the transition to MLB, hitting just .187 with eight homers in 77 games spanning the last two seasons.

Off the field, Tsutsugo was tasked with getting adjusted to the cultural differences between Japan and St. Petersburg, where he played his home games with the Rays. On top of that, Tsutsugo’s first year in the United States was interrupted in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On the field, Tsutsugo was never able to get going in 2020 and continued to struggle in '21, leading the Rays to designate him for assignment. Troubles against velocity has been an issue, but the Dodgers believe they can help him simplify things, which will allow Tsutsugo to use all fields, something he did extremely well in Japan.

“It’s more like finding my timing and getting back my swing that I used to have in Japan,” Tsutsugo said through a translator. “And really communicating with the coaches.”

If the Dodgers are able to tap into something with Tsutsugo, the move could turn out to be a bargain for Los Angeles. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged that the Dodgers liked Tsutsugo’s bat when he was posted in 2019, but they didn’t have a need at his positions.

When they had the opportunity to acquire Tsutsugo this week, they jumped on the opportunity, as opposed to taking their chances and letting him clear waivers. The Dodgers expect Tsutsugo to play mostly in left field and at first base.

“Very much believe in the bat,” Friedman said. “Still believe he can hit, and sometimes a change of scenery helps. At his core, we believe he is a really good hitter. How long that will take to unlock, we're not sure, but from all the digging we’ve done, we feel very confident that he’s going to work and do everything in his power to get there.”

McKinstry and Bellinger close to rehab assignment
The Dodgers have been decimated by injuries, but they could be getting close to getting back two key pieces to their lineup.

Star outfielder Cody Bellinger and utility man Zach McKinstry will head to Triple-A Oklahoma City for rehab assignments and are scheduled to play on Friday. Bellinger will start in center field, while McKinstry will get work all over the diamond.

McKinstry could return to the active roster before Bellinger, who has been out since April 6 with a hairline fracture of his left fibula. The reason Bellinger might take longer than McKinstry is because he was limited in Spring Training and only had 19 at-bats in the regular season before getting injured.

The good news, however, is that both are nearing a return and could help the Dodgers’ lineup, which will also be without Corey Seager for nearly two months.

Cleavinger to the IL; Vesia recalled
Just before Tuesday’s game against the D-backs, the Dodgers placed left-hander Garrett Cleavinger on the 10-day injured list with left forearm inflammation. In his place, the team recalled lefty Alex Vesia.

Cleavinger has made eight appearances for the Dodgers this season, posting a 4.50 ERA and nine strikeouts over six innings. The Dodgers now have 12 players on the injured list.

Vesia has struggled in his three appearances with the Dodgers, posting a 6.75 ERA over four innings. His last outing, however, was a scoreless inning against the Marlins on Sunday.