Erisbel Arruebarrena watches Corey Seager turn a double play in a 2015 Spring Training game. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
Kiké Hernandez, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Trayce Thompson, CF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Corey Seager, SS
Charlie Culberson, 3B
(Alex Wood, P)
By Jon Weisman
For the second year in a row, the Dodgers have suspended infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena.
Dodger director of player development Gabe Kapler confirmed the suspension, which was for repeated failure to comply with the terms of his contract.
Arruebarrena was signed in February 2014. A defensive whiz, he went 8 for 41 with a double, three walks and 17 strikeouts for the Dodgers that season, and was 2 for 4 as the shortstop the day of Josh Beckett’s no-hitter.
Now 26, Arruebarrena hasn’t played for the Dodgers since. He was designated for assignment in December 2014, but cleared waivers and came to Spring Training in 2015 as a non-roster player. On May 21, it was announced that he was suspended for the remainder of the 2015 season, though that sanction was later reduced to 30 games.
Arruebarrena had a .244 on-base percentage and .400 slugging percentage for Double-A Tulsa in 58 plate appearances this year.
J.M. Hardin
It sounds like time to simply send him packing. One suspension like this could be a mistake (since we don’t know what he did or didn’t do) but twice, two years in a row? No prospect should be worth enough to keep around after two straight years of violating their contract.