LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford from the injured list and optioned left-handed pitcher Alex Vesia to Triple-A. 

Bickford, 28, missed 14 games with lower back tightness. He made one rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City, tossing one scoreless inning with one strikeout. He has appeared in 23 games this season for the Dodgers, posting a 7.33 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 27.0 innings. He has been in the Majors parts of four seasons with Milwaukee (2020) and Los Angeles (2021-23) and he is a combined 7-5 with a 4.75 ERA (74 ER/140.1 IP) and 164 strikeouts. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round (18^th overall) of the 2015 First Year Player Draft out of Southern Nevada College.

Vesia, 27, pitched on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning with one strikeout against the Los Angeles Angels. On the season, he is 0-4 with a 7.58 ERA (16 ER/19.0 IP) and 30 strikeouts in 23 games for the Dodgers. He is in his third season with Los Angeles, and he is a combined 8-5 with a 3.10 ERA (39 ER/113.1 IP) and 163 strikeouts in 127 games. He has been in the Major Leagues parts of four seasons with Miami (2020) and Los Angeles (2021-23) and he is 8-6 with 168 strikeouts in 117.2 innings. He was originally acquired from the Miami Marlins on February 12, 2021 along with right-hander pitcher Kyle Hurt in exchange for right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro.