LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers optioned catcher/infielder Austin Barnes to Triple-A Oklahoma City after recalling right-handed pitcher Chris Hatcher from the paternity list. The move came before Friday night's game against the Giants.
Barnes made the Major League club out of Spring Training after Yasmani Grandal was placed on the disabled list with a forearm injury. Barnes made four starts for the team, three at catcher and one at second base. The 26-year-old went 2-for-15 with two walks and no extra-base hits.
• Dodgers depth chart
The bullpen also got its second left-hander Thursday with the callup of Adam Liberatore to join fellow southpaw J.P. Howell.
"Austin is a nice young player, it's just hard to get him at-bats," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It's to get him optioned out to OKC and play, kinda catch his breath a little bit. It also gives us the flexibility of having two lefties. If you look at this team over there, you have Belt, Panik, Crawford, Span, and I know Blanco's in there tonight. To have two lefties is a good thing and even looking a bit further beyond with Atlanta, there's always some lefties over there."
Activating Hatcher at the expense of Barnes left the Dodgers with an extra reliever and a short bench on the 25-man roster. It's an arrangement that Roberts could see going for the next two weeks.
"It's not something we've done yet, but I've been talking to the guys," Roberts said. "I feel comfortable with it, I'm fine with it. Other teams are doing it, I think the Giants are doing it as well, so for us it just kind of makes sense. I could see that for the next couple of weeks."
Hatcher missed Thursday's 5-2 win over the D-backs after the birth of his son Jensen Thomas in the early afternoon, but will be activated on the first day possible.