What a tumultuous start to the year for Ryan Fitzgerald. The 31-year-old infielder was designated for assignment by the Twins on January 2.
He was in the open market for a week before the Los Angeles Dodgers scooped him up, but just four days after doing so, the organization DFA'd him, too to make room for new pickup Andy Ibáñez.
Fitzgerald provides value to a team, although probably not in a starting role. Just two weeks into the new year, he's been let go twice. We're not too sure he deserves that.
Former Twin Ryan Fitzgerald is DFA'd by Dodgers four days after being claimed
As predicted on this morning's podcast, the Dodgers have already designated Ryan Fitzgerald for assignment after claiming him off waivers from the Twins.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) January 13, 2026
The move may have not made any sense for the Dodgers in the first place. Yes, Los Angeles is famous for turning average players into more productive hitters, but there is no room for Fitzgerald to succeed in Hollywood.
The Dodgers' infield depth includes Freedie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas, Kiké Hernández, and Hyeseong Kim. Where was Fitzgerald supposed to squeeze in? He was facing an uphill battle as it was, so it may have been for the better that he was DFA'd again.
Fitzgerald flexed some power in a small sample size in 2025, crushing four home runs with Minnesota in 25 games. Three of those home runs came in September, which hinted that he was ready for more reps at the MLB level.
So, what's next for Fitzgerald? Hopefully he won't have to wait much longer again for another club to come calling. It's been a weird week for former Minnesota Twins. On top of Fitzgerald's second DFA, Max Kepler — now with the Philadelphia Phillies — was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games due to a violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Kepler tested positive for Epitrenbolone, which is a performance-enhancing drug that is commonly used in veterinary medicine.
Things are looking brighter for Fitzgerald than Kepler, though his mental health is being challenged quite a bit this month. Fitzgerald can predominantly play the middle infield, but if a team needs a third baseman, he isn't a terrible backup option. The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and San Francisco Giants are among three teams shopping for an infielder. The Red Sox purchased Fitzgerald's contract back in 2018. Perhaps a reunion with his original team is in the cards, even if at the minor league level.