LOS ANGELES -- Three weeks after signing Andy Ibáñez to a Major League contract, the Dodgers designated the infielder for assignment in order to reclaim outfielder Michael Siani off waivers on Tuesday.
Ibáñez signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal to join the Dodgers on Jan. 13 before being designated for assignment on Tuesday. His addition was viewed as additional insurance for an infield that could be without Tommy Edman, who's rehabbing from a cleanup procedure on his right ankle, to begin the season.
The situation with Edman has not meaningfully changed. He isn't ruling out the possibility of being ready in time for Opening Day, but he's taking his rehab slow in order to allow his troublesome ankle to fully heal. That leaves second base as the lone question mark for a Dodgers starting infield that is otherwise set.
By parting ways with Ibáñez, the Dodgers may have created space for both Alex Freeland and Hyeseong Kim on the Opening Day roster. Freeland, who ended 2025 as MLB Pipeline's No. 4 Dodgers prospect, went 16-for-84 (.190) and played second and third in his first big league stint last year. Kim hit .280 with a .699 OPS and saw time at second and shortstop, with the occasional game in center field, in his first Major League season.
There's some overlap between the switch-hitting Freeland and the left-handed-hitting Kim, and if Ibáñez were still in the mix, then one of them likely would have been the odd man out on Opening Day. Now, both of them feasibly have the opportunity to earn a roster spot.
Alternatively, the Dodgers could choose to carry one fewer infielder in favor of a fifth outfielder on their Opening Day roster. That extra outfielder could be Siani, for his speed and his ability to play center, or Ryan Ward, who may bring more offensive upside coming off a Pacific Coast League MVP season (.937 OPS and 73 extra-base hits) with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
This is the second time Siani has been claimed by the Dodgers this offseason. They claimed him from the Braves on Dec. 12, then designated him for assignment as the corresponding move to add star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the 40-man roster on Jan. 21. From there, Siani was claimed and subsequently DFA'd by the Yankees before returning to the Dodgers' organization.
A defensive specialist, Siani gives the Dodgers a lefty bat off the bench. Across parts of four Major League seasons with the Reds (2022-23) and Cardinals (2023-25), he hit .221 with a .547 OPS in 160 games (383 plate appearances)