Free agent catcher Travis d’Arnaud is in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. The club has yet to make an official announcement, but they reportedly optioned third baseman Matt Beaty to clear a roster spot for d’Arnaud.
The 30-year-old backstop was designated for assignment by the Mets at the end of April and formally released on Friday. Given his struggles this spring, it wasn’t an entirely unexpected move: d’Arnaud slashed just .087/.160/.087 with two hits and two RBI through his first 25 plate appearances of the spring. He hasn’t seen regular time behind the plate since 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, but will undoubtedly try to return to some of his pre-surgery numbers, including a .240+ average and double-digit home run totals.
For the time being, he’ll slot in behind Austin Barnes and Russell Martin, as Castillo adds that the Dodgers have no immediate plans to trim their catching depth. According to comments made by manager Dave Roberts, the club is primarily interested in d’Arnaud as a right-handed bat in the lineup, and may use him in both the infield and outfield going forward.
