LOS ANGELES — Just days after one of the biggest moments of Jason Heyward’s time with the Dodgers, that time is over.
Heyward hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run Tuesday that propelled the Dodgers to a win over Seattle. But he was a victim of the roster crunch created by a number of injured players returning this week.
The 35-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment Thursday in order to activate Chris Taylor from the injured list.
An All-Star as a rookie with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, Heyward won five Gold Gloves over a career that seemed to have reached its final days when the Chicago Cubs cut him loose in 2022 (despite a year remaining on his six-year, $184 million contract).
The Dodgers signed him for the 2023 season, reuniting him with longtime friend and former Braves teammate Freddie Freeman. Heyward was a productive role player for the Dodgers last season, reviving his career with a .269 average, 15 home runs and an .813 OPS, playing almost exclusively against right-handed pitching.
The Dodgers re-signed him for the 2024 season, giving him a one-year, $9 million contract. Heyward has not been as productive. He hit .208 with a .682 OPS, losing six weeks to a back injury.
The recent decision to move Mookie Betts back to right field when Betts returned from a fractured hand seemed to seal Heyward’s fate. He had just six at-bats and one start in the 10 games since. Taylor’s greater versatility was deemed more valuable by the Dodgers than Heyward’s potential value off the bench as a pinch-hitter.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ postgame press conference Wednesday was delayed, likely as he broke the news to Heyward, and during the press conference Roberts mentioned that the Dodgers’ roster was going to have “a very different look” by Friday.
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Taylor has had his own problematic season. The utilityman was hitting .095 in early June before he started to make progress offensively. He hit .244 in 36 games before a groin injury July 24 sent him to the IL.
Taylor played five games on a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment over the past week, three with Triple-A Oklahoma City and two with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. He went 6 for 18 with two doubles, playing second base and left field.
