Jason Heyward DFA'ed by Dodgers

LOS ANGELES - Former National League all-star Jason Heyward has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers DFA'ed Heyward, 35, on Thursday as the team activated utilityman Chris Taylor back into the active roster. Taylor was out for nearly a month after suffering a groin injury back in late July.

In the two seasons – 187 regular season games with – the Dodgers, Heyward hit 21 home runs, batted in 68 runs with a .249 batting average and a .768 OPS. 

The Dodgers brought in Heyward on a Minor League deal prior to the 2023 season before "J-Hey" worked his way into the MLB roster. He eventually won a spot on the Dodgers roster for the entirety of the 2023 season and the first half of the 2024 season as a platoon outfielder.

As of Thursday, it is unknown what the Dodgers plan to do with Heyward – whether to waive him or send him down to the AAA-affiliate MiLB team in Oklahoma City. 

Prior to joining the Boys in Blue, Heyward spent 13 seasons in the show, five seasons with the Atlanta Braves, one season with the St. Louis Cardinals and seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs – where he won the World Series in 2016. During the Cubs' World Series run, his then-teammates credited Heyward for giving a speech during a rain delay in Game 7 of the Fall Classic, in which Chicago ended up beating the Cleveland Guardians (formerly the Indians) 8-7. 

Over the course of his 15-year MLB career, Heyward was named an All-Star in 2010 and won the Rawlings Gold Gloves five times.