Former Dodgers minor-league closer traded to Braves after being DFA'd by Angels

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Petersen
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Petersen | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Michael Petersen took the long and winding road to get to the big leagues. Born in London, England, Petersen was drafted three different times before finally joining an MLB organization (Milwaukee Brewers) in 2015.

And while he wasn't on the field for the Dodgers' World Series celebration last October, the right-hander still received a ring. Petersen made 11 relief appearances for Los Angeles last season, but spent most of the year at the backend of the Oklahoma City bullpen while maintaining a sparkling 1.64 ERA and had 10 saves at Triple-A last season.

But Petersen was designated for assignment late last season, and spent the last few weeks of his 2024 campaign with the Miami Marlins. In total, Peterson logged 19.2 innings of work in 16 relief appearances and posted a 5.95 ERA at the major league level.

Former Dodgers minor-league closer traded to Braves after being DFA'd by Angels

Petersen latched on with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason after he was plucked off waivers. But the 31-year-old never made it to camp. Petersen was jettisoned in favor of former Dodgers' starter Max Scherzer and the Los Angeles Angels added him to their spring training roster.

Unable to break camp with the big league club, Petersen was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the year, but was DFA'd (again) after just one outing. The Atlanta Braves, in desperate need of pitching, decided to take a flier on Peterson and swung a deal with the Halos for cash considerations.

If there's any team in MLB who needs pitching help, it's the Braves. The Dodgers had a part to play in Atlanta's 0-7 start — including Shohei Ohtani's walk-off on Wednesday night — but the Braves' pitching staff has been decimated by injuries.

It remains to be seen if Petersen will be the answers to their troubles, but he did have seven strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings while pitching in the Cactus League this spring. Atlanta is desperate, and hoping to catch lightning in a bottle.

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