Clayton Kershaw declines $10 million option with Dodgers, becomes free agent
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw has declined his $10 million player option for next season, electing to become a free agentNOVEMBER 5
AUSTIN BARNES #15 - CATCHER - LOS ANGELES DODGERS
1 HR •
11 RBI •
.264 AVG
1 HR
11 RBI
.264 AVG
Brought back for 2025 The Dodgers exercised Barnes' $3.5 million club option for 2025 on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Impact Barnes slashed .264/.331/.307 with 11 RBI across 156 plate appearances in 2024 -- good enough for the Dodgers to keep him around as the backup catcher behind Will Smith. While Barnes is likely to break spring training as Los Angeles' reserve backstop, a drop in production from the 34-year-old could result in prospects Dalton Rushing or Hunter Feduccia taking his spot on the roster.
NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE
Notches steal Sunday Barnes went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rockies.
Impact Barnes went 2-for-6 with a walk over two games after he was activated from the injured list Friday. The catcher ends the regular season with a .264/.331/.307 slash line, one home run, three steals, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored over 156 plate appearances this year. He is likely to continue operating in a reserve role behind Will Smith heading into the postseason.
SEPTEMBER 30 • ROTOWIRE
Shohei Ohtani falls short of Triple Crown in Dodgers' season finale
Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 and fell short in his bid to become the National League’s first Triple Crown winner since 1937, stealing his 59th...SEPTEMBER 29
Ohtani falls short of Triple Crown, steals 59th base as Dodgers beat Rockies 2-1 in season finale
Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 and fell short in his bid to become the National League’s first Triple Crown winner since 1937, and stole his 59th base to help the Los Angeles Dodgers r...SEPTEMBER 29 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Activated from IL The Dodgers activated Barnes (toe) from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Impact Barnes fractured his left big toe Sept. 15 after fracturing the same toe in August. However, the fractures occurred in different spots of the toe. With Barnes returning from injury, Hunter Feduccia was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
SEPTEMBER 26 • ROTOWIRE
Placed on IL with fractured toe The Dodgers placed Barnes on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a fractured left big toe.
Impact The fracture is in the same toe that landed Barnes on the injured list in mid-August. While he spent the minimum 10 days on the IL in his first stint, the expectation this time around is that Barnes will be sidelined until the start of the postseason, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill in for Barnes as the Dodgers' backup catcher behind Will Smith.
SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE
X-rays show new fracture in toe Barnes said Monday that X-rays showed a fracture in his left big toe in a different spot than his previous fracture, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Impact Barnes missed the minimum amount of time when he was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 19 with the same injury. The 34-year-old catcher is expected to go on the IL again, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, but it's unclear whether Barnes will miss more than the minimum 10 days this time around.
SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE
Exits early Sunday Barnes exited Sunday's contest with Atlanta in the fifth inning with a left big toe contusion.
Impact Barnes was forced to the leave the game before his second at-bat of the game with a familiar injury. The catcher had a fracture in the same toe in August and it's unclear how long he could be unavailable for. Will Smith replaced him behind the plate and will continue to get the lion's share of work at catcher if Barnes is sidelined moving forward.
SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE
Cubs beat Dodgers 6-3 in Yamamoto-Imanaga matchup as LA makes 3 errors in 5-run 8th inning
The Cubs rallied for the tying and go-ahead runs in a five-run eighth inning, when the Los Angeles Dodgers committed three errors in a 6-3 loss to Chicago that featured a matchup o...SEPTEMBER 11 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Three hits in blowout loss Barnes went 3-for-4 with one RBI in Sunday's 14-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Impact Barnes' three-hit game was a small bright spot in an otherwise awful performance for the Dodgers. The backup catcher has gone 5-for-8 over three contests since he returned from a fractured big toe sustained in mid-August. Through 139 plate appearances, Barnes is slashing .266/.336/.315 with one home run, 11 RBI, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases. He is unlikely to challenge Will Smith for a starting role, but Barnes should be expected in the lineup any time the Dodgers have a day game immediately after a night game.
SEPTEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE
Solid performance in return Barnes went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Orioles.
Impact Barnes doubled in his second trip to the plate, sending home Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. The backstop then added a leadoff single in the eighth before stealing second and eventually coming around to score for a second time on the night. It marked Barnes' first multi-hit performance since July 25 against the Giants, while the stolen base was just his second of the campaign. It was certainly a solid performance for Barnes in his return to the lineup following a 10-day stint on the injured list. Prior to Thursday's two-hit effort he was batting .052 (1-for-19) in August.
AUGUST 30 • ROTOWIRE
Back from IL The Dodgers reinstated Barnes (toe) from the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Impact Barnes landed on the injured list Aug. 19 due to a fracture of his left big toe, though he will now return to the active roster following a minimum-length stay. The 34-year-old backstop has slashed .241/.318/.284 with eight RBI across 131 plate appearances while serving as Will Smith's backup, and his return will push Hunter Feduccia back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE
Likely to return Thursday Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Barnes (toe) is slated to be activated from the injured list Thursday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
Impact As expected, Barnes will miss the minimum amount of time after being placed on the IL on Aug. 19. The backup catcher fractured his left big toe in a game against the Cardinals, and Hunter Feduccia has been filling in behind starting catcher Will Smith in Barnes' absence. Feduccia could be sent back to the minors upon Barnes' activation.
AUGUST 28 • ROTOWIRE
Expected to miss minimum time Barnes (toe) is expected to miss the minimum 10 days while on the injured list, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Impact Barnes is dealing with an injured big toe on his left foot, but he'll be able to avoid a prolonged stint on the IL. The catcher will be replaced by Hunter Feduccia as the primary backup option behind Will Smith behind the plate.
AUGUST 19 • ROTOWIRE
Expected to go on IL Barnes is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list with an undisclosed injury, J.P. Hoornstra of DodgersNation.com reports.
Impact Barnes caught all nine innings of Sunday's win over the Cardinals but evidently must have gotten hurt at some point during the game. He'll be eligible to come off the IL at the end of August but it's not clear if he might be ready at that time. Hunter Feduccia will be called up to serve as the Dodgers' backup catcher behind Will Smith.
AUGUST 19 • ROTOWIRE
Returns to bench role Barnes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Impact Barnes picked up his 32nd start of the season in Saturday's 4-1 win, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while filling in for a resting Will Smith. With Smith back in action for Sunday's series finale, Barnes will return to his usual bench role.
AUGUST 11 • ROTOWIRE
Ohtani's 473-foot drive leads 6-homer onslaught for Dodgers in 9-6 win over Red Sox
Shohei Ohtani hit a 473-foot home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers went deep six times in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red SoxJULY 22 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ohtani hits 473-foot homer that clears bleachers at Dodger Stadium
Shohei Ohtani made his 30th home run in Dodger blue a memorable oneJULY 22 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ohtani's RBI double in ninth inning helps Dodgers rally for streak-ending win in Detroit
Shohei Ohtani’s two-out RBI double gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a ninth-inning lead and they held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Friday, ending a four-game losing streakJULY 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yamamoto pitches six scoreless innings and Pages hits a 2-run homer to lead Dodgers over D-backs 8-0
Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw six scoreless innings, rookie Andy Pages hit a two-run homer as part of a five-run second inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks...MAY 2 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dodgers prospect Andy Pages singles in major league debut against Nationals
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages went 1 for 4 in his major league debut, a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma CityAPRIL 17 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dodgers News: Austin Barnes Scratched From Lineup With Injury He’s dealing with a back issue.
MARCH 5 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Reveals Why He Wanted Austin Barnes to Hit Over David Peralta in Big Spot It was an interesting decision.
OCTOBER 12, 2023 • SACBEE.COM
Hits homer in Sunday's win Barnes went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Mariners.
Impact Barnes has gone 4-for-21 (.190) across six games in September, though the catcher may get some more time over Will Smith since the Dodgers clinched the NL West on Saturday. For the year, Barnes has two homers, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases and a .171/.238/.232 slash line through 182 plate appearances. He will likely be a clear backup once the postseason begins.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
