The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially activated utility man Tommy Edman off the 60-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays .
Edman isn't in the lineup on Tuesday night, but will make his season debut on Wednesday.
To make room for Edman on both the active and 40-man rosters, veteran infielder Santiago Espinal has been designated for assignment.
This is the second time Espinal has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers this year.
The Dodgers first DFA'd Espinal at the end of May when Kik Hernndez came off the 60-day injured list. However, Espinal cleared waivers, and when Hernndez went back on the IL with an oblique strain , he was quickly re-signed .
Overall this season, Espinal has appeared in 36 games with the Dodgers, hitting .268 with one home run, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .651. In his brief second stint with the team, he went 6-for-15 (.400) with an OPS of .775.
"Espy's been great for us," manager Dave Roberts said Monday night. "But it's just kind of the fit right now with our ball club, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense."
Now, Espinal will head back to waivers, where another team will have the opportunity to claim him.
As for Edman, he's returning after missing the first three months of the year while recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
Edman played through the injury for most of last season and, according to Roberts, the last few years.
"It's been a few years just nagging, and even with the surgery, they were still kind of trying to get over the hump with feeling good," Roberts said. "It was important just so we can get it behind us."
Now, Edman is finally healthy, and will look to make an immediate impact for the Dodgers both in the lineup and out on the field.
Roberts said Edman will play second base, third base and some left field for LA, but they aren't going to immediately push him into everyday action.
"We're gonna be mindful of playing time, and [it will] probably be a three-or-four-time-a-week situation for a while," Roberts said.
Edman appeared in 97 games for the Dodgers last year, hitting .225 with 13 home runs, 49 RBIs and an OPS of .655.
In his 35 games with LA in 2024 after being acquired at the trade deadline, he hit .237 with six home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of .711.
Edman is a plus-defender at multiple positions, ranking in the 96th percentile in Outs Above Average last season with 10. He'll give Roberts plenty of versatility and optionality, and allow him to spell some other players throughout the year.
"I don't know when [Teoscar Hernndez] is going to come back, but he's going to need to be spelled. I like getting Max [Muncy] an off day here and there. And then also obviously with second base," Roberts said.
"He's going to be moved around a little bit."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Cut Ties With Veteran, Officially Bring Back Tommy Edman .
