LOS ANGELES (AP) – Freddie Freeman has lost seeing his best friend every day and the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse is without a respected presence who mentored the younger players.
Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward was cut loose Thursday, two days after his pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run homer gave the Dodgers a 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners in what turned out to be his final at-bat with the team.
“What Jason did for the Dodgers in a year and a half was pretty remarkable on the field, in the clubhouse, in the community,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday. “His fingerprint will be everlasting.”
Heyward became expendable with the return of utilityman Chris Taylor from the injured list.
Roberts acknowledged the team considered delaying the move until Sept. 1 when rosters expand. However, Taylor’s readiness forced the quick move.
“It was a roster crunch. Guys finally came back to health and we only have so much room,” Roberts said. “Unfortunately, it had to be Jason. One of the tougher things I’ve had to do.”
