The Dodgers claim Brent Honeywell Jr. off waivers from the Pirates

The Dodgers claimed the right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. waivers from the Pirates, as noted by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. LA will need to make a corresponding move to the 40-man roster, though one has yet to be announced.

Honeywell, 29, is best known for his time in the Rays system as a top prospect. A long string of injuries that included Tommy John surgery and multiple elbow fractures left Honeywell to pitch just 103 1/2 innings in professional games from 2018 through 2022. Still, the righty managed to in the majors last year with the Padres. He posted a decent 4.05 ERA in 46 innings of 2/3 work with San Diego, but was pushed off the roster last summer and ended up with the White Sox. He was fanned for seven runs in just 5 2/3 innings of work during his brief stint with the South Siders and left for free agency over the winter.

In February, Honeywell signed with Pittsburgh to a minor league contract and began the season with the club’s Triple-A affiliate. He pitched to a 4.85 ERA in 39 innings of work with a 19.6% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate during his time in the minors. That somewhat lackluster performance earned him a brief call-up to the majors, however, and Honeywell excelled in that limited showing, with a 2.70 ERA in 3 innings and three, though he walked one more batter than he struck out in that moment. coffee cup. Honeywell was designated for assignment yesterday after just a few days in the majors, but will obviously get another shot at the big league level with the Dodgers.

With Los Angeles, Honeywell will continue to try to unlock the talent that made him a top prospect during his time in Tampa. In 2017, the right-hander was one of the game’s top pitching prospects, posting a 3.64 ERA and 2.84 FIP in 24 starts at the Triple-A level, where he struck out 29.1% of batters faced with a walk rate of just 5.9% . He’s a few years removed from those sensational numbers at this point, but his time with the Padres last year showed that even with his current strikeout (20.6% in San Diego) and walk (9.8 %), it can still be an effective means. arm.

Although the Dodgers bullpen has been among the best in baseball this year, they have struggled somewhat in recent weeks. Since the calendar turned to June, the club’s 3.46 relief ERA remains solid, but their 4.18 FIP is 10th in the majors and suggests they could regress to match as the season continues. Bringing in Honeywell, who can at least provide another arm to the club in the final weeks leading up to the trade deadline, should allow the Dodgers to keep their relief options fresh as the club likely considers other additions in the coming weeks .