The Dodgers reinstated Landon Knack from the 60-day injured list on July 11, bringing back a right-hander who had been out all year with an oblique strain. To make room, they designated left-hander Charlie Barnes for assignment.
It is the move the club had been waiting to make since spring, when Knack was in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot and a bullpen job before the injury shut him down. The Dodgers now get a pitcher who has already worked both sides of the staff picture in Los Angeles, with 19 starts and six relief outings on his résumé.
Knack did not simply walk back into the picture. He made three rehab appearances at Triple-A and stretched to three innings and 63 pitches in his most recent outing, a sign he had at least begun to build back the workload needed for a big-league role. That matters because the Dodgers did not bring him back for ceremony; they used him to take Kyle Hurt’s spot in the bullpen after Hurt was pushed into a surprise start on Friday when Shohei Ohtani was scratched with a knee injury.
The numbers around Knack explain why the return is useful but not uncomplicated. He posted a 3.65 ERA with a strikeout per inning in his rookie campaign, but his ERA jumped by more than a run last season. That is why his return was tied to a bullpen competition rather than a clean ticket back into the rotation. Even now, the club has not said whether Knack will settle in as a reliever or eventually move to another role, and the way it handled this roster spot suggests the answer will depend on what he shows first.
Barnes’ exit closes one door and opens another short-term one. He joined the Cubs on a minor league deal over the winter, was added to their roster in mid-April, then designated for assignment in early May before the Dodgers grabbed him off waivers. He threw two scoreless innings shortly after the trade of sorts, was recalled on the first day of July, and then allowed seven earned runs as a bulk reliever before going back down. The Dodgers now have five days to trade him or place him on waivers. If he clears, he can reject a minor league assignment because he has been outrighted before.
For Knack, the return is less about sentiment than about proving he belongs in a bullpen that has already asked a lot from its depth arms. For the Dodgers, the next decision is plain: whether this is a temporary lift from injury cover, or the start of Knack forcing his way into a larger role before the roster tightens again.
