Dodgers Add Brock Stewart, Wilmer Font to Expanded Roster

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(Mandatory Credit: Matt York/Associated Press)

The Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday morning recalled right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart and selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Wilmer Font from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Font will wear uniform No. 62.

Stewart, 25, will make his 11th appearance of the season and fourth start in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday in San Diego. Stewart has posted a 3.38 ERA over an even 24 innings with one save for Los Angeles this year, while holding hitters to a .227 average. This will mark his fifth stint with the Dodgers in 2017 and he has gone 0-1 with a 3.12 ERA over 17-1/3 innings in five starts for the OKC Dodgers this season.

Font, 27, who will make his Dodger debut and his first big league appearance since 2013, went 10-8 with a 3.42 ERA over 134-1/3 innings in 25 starts for the OKC Dodgers this season. Prior to his promotion, Font led the Pacific Coast League with a career-high 178 strikeouts and earlier in the month set Oklahoma City’s all-time single-season strikeout record since the team rejoined the PCL in 1998. On Monday, he was named to the 2017 All-Pacific Coast League Team after leading the PCL in ERA, WHIP, opponents’ batting average and K/9, while also ranking among the best in starts, wins and innings pitched. Font was also named a midseason PCL All-Star and started the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 12, retiring the side in the first inning on four pitches. He was named PCL Pitcher of the Week twice this season, taking home the award for the periods of May 15-21 and July 10-16.

The Venezuela native appeared in five big league games over two seasons with the Texas Rangers in 2012-13, allowing two runs in 3-1/3 innings and holding hitters to a .091 average. Over nine minor league seasons, Font has gone 38-29 with 18 saves and has posted a 3.61 ERA in 203 games with the Rangers, Blue Jays and Dodgers organizations. He has held batters to a career .218 average in the minors and has struck out 730 batters against 271 walks in 618-2/3 innings, posting a 10.62 K/9.

To create room on the 40-man roster for Font, Los Angeles designated right-handed pitcher Jordan Jankowski for assignment.

In addition, the Dodgers recalled pitcher Fabio Castillo to the big league squad moments before Friday night’s opener against the Padres.

Castillo, 28, will make his first career appearance on a major league roster after going 4-8 with one save and posting a 4.04 ERA over 91-1/3 innings in 25 combined games with Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa. Castillo, who had his contract selected on June 8, has spent the majority of the season with OKC, appearing in 22 games and going 4-8 with a 4.27 ERA, while striking out 85 batters against 31 walks in 84-1/3 innings.

(Dai Sugiura provided the majority of information furnished in this report)

 

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