Dodgers DFA former All-Star after he gives manager highlight of the season

Two days after cranking a pinch-hit, game-winning three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners, outfielder Jason Heyward was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

According to a report by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said following Tuesday's contest that the 35-year-old's dinger was "probably the highlight for me of the season thus far."

Still, with a roster as loaded with position player talent as Los Angeles is, the breakup with Heyward isn't surprising. As the Dodgers push toward a likely 12th straight playoff berth, Heyward became the odd man out.

"I think (the decision) is going to be what it’s going to be, no matter what," the 2007 first-round pick said on Tuesday, per the report. "Years like this, when a team is all-in, I think they always have to put their best foot forward, and whatever happens, happens. ... But I think personally, it’s pretty cool to be No. 23 for this club, to hit a couple of majestic No. 23-type homers, not in the postseason, but for where we want to go."

Ardaya called Heyward a "respected figure within the Dodgers clubhouse" but noted the lefty's struggles at the plate. Heyward had just one home run, 10 RBI and a .204/.278/.277 slash line across 137 at-bats in 48 games during his last season with the Chicago Cubs in 2022 but bounced back during his first campaign with Los Angeles in 2023.

In 334 at-bats over 124 games, the one-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove Award winner had his best numbers since 2019 that season in runs scored (56), hits (90), doubles (23), home runs (15) and RBI (40), and his .813 OPS was his highest mark since 2012 . Heyward wraps up his 2024 run with the Dodgers with a respectable six home runs and 28 RBI across 173 at-bats covering 63 games but also posted a measly .208/.289/.393 slash line.

According to Ardaya's report, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up had been struggling since the start of July in particular, recording a .197/.254/.344 triple slash with only two home runs during the stretch.

As they look to capitalize on their first season with a quartet of MVPs (Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani), difficult roster decisions have to be made.