CLEVELAND -- The Indians continued to add pitching to their depth chart on Thursday, signing right-hander Stephen Fife to a Minor League contract that includes a non-roster invitation to attend Spring Training with the big league club.
With the addition of Fife, Cleveland has 21 non-roster invitees in the fold for the spring. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, with the team's first workout slated for Feb. 15. Position players are due to report Feb. 18, with the first full-squad practice Feb. 19.
Fife has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Dodgers, but his last stint in the big leagues came in 2014.
Last year, the 31-year-old Fife split his time between Triple-A New Orleans (Marlins) and the Seibu Lions in Japan. At Triple-A, the right-hander posted a 3.97 ERA with 52 strikeouts against 18 walks in 65 2/3 innings, including a 2.70 ERA in his final five starts before being released. In five outings in the Japan Pacific League, Fife had a 6.86 ERA in 21 innings.
Fife underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in August of '14 and missed the '15 season. Across the 2012-14 campaigns, he appeared in 18 games (16 starts) for the Dodgers, posting a 3.66 ERA with 70 strikeouts against 33 walks in 91 innings.