The many possibilities for Yasiel Puig suddenly include a trade.

Yasiel Puig

Yasiel Puig was claimed on revocable trade waivers Tuesday. (Keith Birmingham/Staff photographer)

DENVER >> Yasiel Puig might return to Major League Baseball with another organization before he plays his next game for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Puig was claimed on revocable trade waivers by a mystery team Tuesday, according to a report earlier today on the website TodaysKnuckleball.com (and confirmed in subsequent reports that the Marlins, Mariners and Braves did not claim him).

The Dodgers can try to work out a trade with the claiming team, though such trades are rare. It’s possible that a rival team with no interest in Puig claimed him, merely to block him from being traded to a team that was willing to offer the Dodgers something of value. This kind of gamesmanship is not rare in August.

In either case, Puig isn’t among the planned roster call-ups for Sept. 1, when teams can carry up to 40 players on their active roster. Manager Dave Roberts recently said that Austin Barnes and Louis Coleman (who is on the disabled list) would be the first men up, along with Casey Fien, who was activated from the disabled list Tuesday.

So what is the plan for Puig, who’s slashing .369/.414/.631 at Triple-A Oklahoma City?
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Dodgers replace Pedro Baez with Casey Fien.

Pedro Baez

Dodgers pitcher Pedro Baez, who was optioned to Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday, has a 7.50 earned-run average in August. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

DENVER >> The Dodgers optioned pitcher Pedro Baez to Double-A Tulsa prior to Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, and recalled Casey Fien from his rehabilitation assignment.

Ordinarily players who are optioned to the minor leagues can’t be recalled for another 10 days unless another player is hurt. But because the Tulsa Drillers’ season ends next Monday, the Dodgers can bring Baez back the following day, Sept. 6.

Baez’s overall numbers are quite solid: a 3.61 earned-run average in 62 appearances, with 19 walks and 68 strikeouts in 62 ⅓ innings. But his ERA has risen by a full run in August as the right-hander strung together one rocky appearance after another. He has a 7.50 ERA and a .653 opponents’ slugging percentage in his last 13 appearances.

Only Joe Blanton has appeared in more games this season for the Dodgers than Baez.

Fien hasn’t pitched since July 16 because of a minor elbow injury. He has a 3.80 ERA in 23 relief appearances since the Dodgers claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.

Casey Fien throws one inning for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga again, allows one run.


RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Dodgers pitcher Casey Fien allowed one run in his lone inning of work at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The right-hander made his first rehab appearance Thursday, and throwing 22 pitches on the second of back-to-back nights is the big takeaway here. Fien was able to touch 93 mph with his fastball; he was sitting 94-95 prior to his elbow injury in July.

Fien was not able to hold the Visalia Rawhide scoreless. He gave up a one-out double to Joe Munoz, a right-handed hitter, on a fastball smoked into the left-center field gap. He gave up a two-out double to Victor Reyes, a left-handed hitter, on a curveball smoked into the right-center gap.

Fien was placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis July 17, so he’s eligible to come off any day now.

In 21 games with the Dodgers this season, Fien is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA.

Dodgers pitcher Casey Fien to throw bullpen session tomorrow at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers pitcher Casey Fien will throw his first bullpen session tomorrow at Dodger Stadium since he went on the 15-day disabled list with tendonitis in his right elbow.

Fien, who has a 4.09 earned-run average in 21 appearances this season, still has no firm timetable to return to the Dodgers’ bullpen. He said his throwing program has gone smoothly since he began about four days after he went on the DL back on July 17.

“It felt like a rock in there” he said of the flexor muscle in his right forearm. “Then it just relaxed.”