The Los Angeles Dodgers activated left-handed reliever Tanner Scott from the 15-day injured list on Friday, just ahead of their critical three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. To clear roster space, the club optioned right-hander Matt Sauer to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Scott, 31, had been sidelined since July 22 with left elbow inflammation suffered during an outing against the Minnesota Twins. The southpaw made a single rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on August 20, tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts while topping out at 98.7 mph on his fastball and 91.8 mph on his slider. He also threw bullpen sessions and simulated innings at Dodger Stadium before activation.
The veteran lefty has appeared in 47 games this season, posting a 1–2 record with a 4.14 ERA. He has converted 19 of 26 save opportunities but also leads the majors with seven blown saves, including two in the weeks immediately before his IL stint.
Control issues hampered Scott in July, as he issued five walks in seven appearances after allowing only six free passes in his first 40 games through June. He also surrendered eight home runs this season, three of which came during the two weeks prior to his injury, already two more than he had allowed over the previous two seasons combined.
His inconsistency aside, Scott brings closing experience to a Dodgers bullpen that has leaned heavily on him in high-leverage situations. Across nine MLB seasons with Baltimore (2017–21), Miami (2022–23), San Diego (2024), and Los Angeles (2025), Scott owns a 32–26 record with a 3.63 ERA, 74 saves, and 536 strikeouts across 414.1 innings. He was dominant in 2023–24, combining for a 2.04 ERA and converting 34 of 40 save opportunities while pitching for Miami and San Diego.
The roster casualty was 26-year-old Sauer, who allowed two earned runs on three hits across two innings against the Rockies in his most recent outing. Sauer owns a 6.37 ERA in 10 big-league games this year after debuting with Kansas City in 2023. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he logged a 5–4 record, 4.86 ERA, and 73 strikeouts across 76 innings.
The Dodgers avoided pursuing another late-inning arm at the trade deadline, instead showing confidence in their $72 million investment in Scott.
His return arrives at a crucial point for Los Angeles. The Dodgers enter the Padres series holding a one-game lead in the NL West. The matchup follows a three-game sweep by the Dodgers over San Diego last weekend. Padres starter Blake Snell, who threw six scoreless innings against Los Angeles in that series, will open Friday’s contest at 6:40 p.m. PT.
