Dodgers sign veteran reliever who last pitched with Yankees in 2023

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their annual pursuit of pitching depth this week, signing veteran reliever Keynan Middleton to a minor league contract in a move that carries little risk but intriguing upside.

Middleton, 32, has not appeared in a Major League game since the 2023 season, when he split time between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. Injuries derailed his momentum shortly afterward. A flexor injury suffered during spring training with the St. Louis Cardinals ultimately required surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of 2024 and nearly all of 2025.

Still, the Dodgers are betting on traits rather than recent availability — a familiar strategy for an organization that has consistently turned overlooked pitchers into contributors.

Dodgers make low-risk bet, sign Keynan Middleton to minor league deal

When healthy, Middleton has shown the ability to miss bats at an elite level. Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he posted a 17.1% swinging-strike rate while striking out more than 28 percent of opposing hitters. Even as his fastball velocity began to dip in 2023, hitters continued to chase pitches off the plate at an impressive rate.

That swing-and-miss profile has helped Middleton compile a solid 3.84 ERA across parts of seven big league seasons, though inconsistent command — reflected in a career 10.3% walk rate — has prevented him from locking down a permanent late-inning role.

For the Dodgers, however, refinement is often part of the appeal. Los Angeles enters 2026 with a crowded bullpen picture already in place. Edwin Díaz is expected to handle closing duties after signing in free agency, while Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia project as key setup options. Behind them sits a plethora of optionable young arms capable of shuttling between Triple-A and the majors throughout the season.

That depth means Middleton faces an uphill climb to reach the active roster. But the Dodgers rarely view minor league deals as simple insurance policies. Pitching injuries and workload management inevitably reshape bullpens over the course of a long season, and adding experienced arms with upside has become a hallmark of the organization’s roster construction.

Middleton’s brief late-season return last year with the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks — where he tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings — offered a glimpse that his career may not be finished just yet. If his stuff rebounds following surgery, the Dodgers could once again turn a quiet signing into meaningful bullpen help when it matters most.