Scott

Rice

Rice had a 3.48 ERA and 9/3 K/BB ratio over 10 1/3 innings this spring, but the Dodgers ultimately went with Josh Lindblom for the final bullpen spot. The Dodgers also reassigned infielders Luis Cruz and Josh Fields to minor league camp.

He’ll also get an invite to spring training. Rice, 30, compiled a solid 1.95 ERA and 42/17 K/BB ratio over 50 2/3 innings with Double-A Chattanooga this past season. He’ll likely function as organizational depth again in 2012.

The deal includes a spring training invite. Rice, 31, posted a 4.40 ERA and 47/22 K/BB ratio over 59 1/3 innings this season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.

Familia entered camp as a reliever after showing inconsistency as a starter in the minors, and he’s won a spot by posting a 2.19 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 12 1/3 spring innings. He’ll work the middle innings initially.

It’s a pretty cool story, as Rice was a first-round pick way back in 1999 but has yet to appear in the majors. He won a job by posting a 3.18 ERA and 10/3 K/BB ratio over 11 spring innings.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Rice has been pitching through the injury for several weeks already. The 31-year-old lefty has appeared in a league-leading 73 games this year, posting a 3.71 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 41/27 K/BB ratio in 51 innings. He’s expected to be 100% for the start of spring training next season.

It’s a procedural move in order to clear room on the 40-man roster. Rice will undergo season-ending surgery this week.

Rice will have a bone spur removed and a nerve relocated, so he’s looking at a four-month rehab process. The 32-year-old southpaw was used heavily by the Mets last season, but he struggled to the tune of a 5.93 ERA over 13 2/3 innings this season prior to being demoted to Triple-A last month.

Rice was solid for the Mets last year while making 73 appearances, but he’s put up an ugly 5.93 ERA while walking 12 over 13 2/3 relief innings this season. Gonzalez Germen was activated from the DL in a corresponding move.