LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers reunited with veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney on Monday, a Minor League deal that was completed in time for Heaney to be eligible for a potential postseason roster. Heaney will spend some time at the team's complex in Arizona before joining Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Dodgers also made a pair of moves when active rosters expanded to 28 players on Monday, reinstating utility man Hyeseong Kim and righty reliever Michael Kopech from the injured list.
Heaney, 34, was designated for assignment and released by the Pirates last week. He went 5-10 with a 5.39 ERA in 26 appearances (23 starts). He started the season off strong, with a 3.33 ERA in his first 14 starts. But since June 19, that mark rose to 9.21, and Pittsburgh eventually moved him to the bullpen.
One of the better full seasons of Heaney's career came in his first stint with the Dodgers, when he posted a 3.10 ERA in 16 appearances (14 starts) in 2022. The following year, he won the World Series with the Rangers and earned the win in Game 4 of the Fall Classic.
"I'm not sure what the organization's plan is," manager Dave Roberts said of Heaney on Tuesday. "But it's certainly good to have him back in the organization."
This signing appears to be a depth move for the Dodgers, whose rotation is in a better spot in terms of both health and performance than it has been all season. Since the team is already using a six-man rotation and has other viable starting options already in the organization, Heaney seems more likely to be used as a reliever if he makes it to the big league level.
Los Angeles' bullpen is trending in the right direction and got an additional boost with the return of Kopech, but the results have been mixed for much of the year. Dodgers relievers' 564 innings pitched are the most in the Majors, and their 4.16 ERA is tied for 18th. The newfound rotation stability has bled into the bullpen somewhat, but questions remain about how reliable the unit can be.
If all goes according to plan for the Dodgers, Heaney will likely not factor into the postseason roster. But he will be an option, if needed.
Kim hit .304 with a .744 OPS before going on the 10-day IL with left shoulder bursitis at the end of July. He has primarily played second base and center field and is a candidate to see some time in left field moving forward.
While Kim will get some starts, his speed may be his best asset at this point in the season. Before his injury, he stole 12 bases without being caught. Having both Kim and Kiké Hernández back on the active roster gives the Dodgers more flexibility when it comes to making in-game lineup and defensive changes.
"You can kind of play the game of chess a little better," Roberts said. "You can play the matchup game a little better. It just gives us more options, and also gives guys a chance to contribute in different ways each night."
Kopech opened the season on the IL and returned to pitch seven scoreless innings in June, but he was sidelined again and ended up needing surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. He will be eased back into game action but eventually figure into the late-inning picture.
An impending free agent, Kopech has acknowledged that his performance down the stretch is not just important for the team. It could also be meaningful for his future beyond this season.
"In these moments, I feel like you're either made or broken as an athlete," Kopech said. "So when the pressure builds, if we can maintain ourselves under that pressure and perform our capabilities, I think that that's what makes us great. So obviously, the hope and the desire and the will and the wish is to go out there and to be able to perform my best when we have the most on the line."