Dodgers release reliever Jake Eder

Eder allowed one run on three hits in four innings out of the Dodgers’ bullpen with one strikeout and one walk. He should get another shot over the summer.

Eder has been summoned to join Los Angeles’ relief mix with closer Edwin Díaz hitting the injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow. The 27-year-old southpaw was acquired in a small trade with the Nationals earlier this month. He’s made nine relief appearances in the big leagues since 2024 and figures to operate in middle relief.

Eder had been designated for assignment by the Nationals over the weekend, so they will at least be able to get something for him. The 27-year-old had once been a high-upside prospect, but he has now failed to stick with the Marlins, White Sox, and Nationals. It’s a long shot that the Dodgers will find a way to change that trajectory. He will head to Triple-A Oklahoma City to see.

Eder showed tremendous promise when drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2020, but injuries have stalled his career significantly. It won’t be a huge surprise if someone puts in a claim on the 27-year-old as a depth piece/reclamation project, but it won’t be a big surprise if teams don’t have interest, either.

Eder was once a high-upside prospect with the Marlins, but an injury in 2022 changed the trajectory of his career. He wasn’t able to latch on with the White Sox or Angels after that and was traded to the Nationals back in July. He did have a fine spring, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out six and walking six. The Nationals will keep working on getting him back to his old self in Triple-A.

The run scored in the second because Eder failed to cover first on a hot shot bobbled by Abimelec Ortiz. Eder also caught a break in the first, when Zach Cole was thrown out trying to tag up from second on a fly to right. On the mound, though, Eder looked pretty good today. He topped out at 96.4 mph and averaged 94.1 mph with his fastball, which was up one mph from last year. He’s not a part of the Nationals’ projected rotation, but there should be plenty of opportunity if he gets off to a nice start.

Eder was once one of the more intriguing left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, but injuries and inconsistent results have made him closer to organizational depth than top prospect. He’ll get a chance to show at the age of 26 he’s got more in the tank, but fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach before considering him as a fantasy option.

Eder logged six innings out of the Angels’ bullpen on Wednesday, which unfortunately means that he wasn’t going to be available for at least a few days, so the Angels wanted to add a fresh arm to their bullpen to take his place. The 26-year-old southpaw holds a 4.91 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and a 15/9 K/BB ratio over 18 1/3 innings with the Halos this season.

Brock Burke opened today, allowing one run in the first, and Sam Bachman finished with a scoreless second. After that, it was all Eder, though he wouldn’t have come back out for the ninth had the Angels pulled off a comeback. Four of the five runs scored in Eder’s first inning of work, but he was quite effective afterwards, retiring 13 of the final 15 batters he faced. It’s unclear if he’ll stay up and face the Rangers next week or head back to Triple-A.

Eder pitched timidly working behind opener Ryan Zeferjahn in this one. He mostly nibbled around the zone with his sliders and allowed hard contact the few times he threw hittable pitches, including a loud three-run home run to Bryce Harper. If he stays on a typical starter’s schedule, he’ll likely pitch again next Wednesday against the Mets, but shouldn’t be seen as much more than an emergency option in even the deepest of leagues.