Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford was designated for assignment Sunday amid a woeful start to the 2016 campaign.
The Dodgers announced Crawford’s demotion and added that they recalled catcher/infielder Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill the 34-year-old veteran’s spot on the MLB roster.
Crawford has appeared in 30 games this season, posting a slash line of .185/.230/.235 in 81 at-bats.
“Father Time gets everyone,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “This game is about performance.”
Making Crawford’s performance all the more disappointing is how much money Los Angeles stands to owe him over the next year-plus, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
Trayce Thompson has flashed promise in his first season with the Dodgers thus far, but the outfield as a whole has been lackluster this year.
Gifted youngsters Yasiel Puig (25) and Joc Pederson (24) haven’t lived up to expectations, with batting averages of .237 and .226, respectively. Puig also just went on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, which goes to show the Dodgers have so little faith in Crawford that they sent him to the minors.
Andre Ethier is already out for a prolonged period with a fractured tibia, so L.A. will have to count on the likes of Howie Kendrick, Scott Van Slyke and Pederson to pick up the slack in the outfield rotation.
A team ERA of 3.34 entering Sunday has been the primary reason the Dodgers are above .500 with a 30-27 record. Increased production from the batting order will be necessary for surefire playoff contention, but Crawford won’t be doing any more damage at the dish at least for the foreseeable future.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com