LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the signing of outfielder Will Venable (#25) to a one-year contract.
The 33-year-old has a .251 career batting average with 81 home runs and 307 RBI in 955 big league games during eight seasons with the Padres (2008-2015) and Rangers (2015). The left-handed hitter has appeared at all three outfield positions, with 555 career games (385 starts) in right field, 322 games (252 starts) in center field and 91 games (52 starts) in left field. Venable opened the season with the Phillies' Triple-A Lehigh Valley club, batting .205 with seven doubles, two homers and 19 RBI in 41 games prior to being released on June 10. Venable was originally selected by the Padres in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of Princeton University.
To create room on the roster, the Dodgers optioned catcher/infielder Austin Barnes to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Barnes has gone 2-for-19 with an RBI in 10 games with Los Angeles this season.