Baez was released by the Dodgers on Saturday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez was an effective high-leverage reliever for the Dodgers several seasons ago, though he wasn't able to latch onto a role in the majors in Los Angeles or Houston this season. He'll look for his next opportunity around the league, which is likely to come on a minor-league deal.

Baez joined the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez signed on for his second stint with Los Angeles on May 20, and he pitched five games in the Arizona Complex League before being shifted to Oklahoma City. The veteran reliever made his Triple-A debut on his first day with the club and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning, but he was better his second time out, tossing a scoreless frame Saturday. However, his fastball averaged just 90 mph in that contest, per Stephen, which is in line with the considerable velocity drop he experienced before being released by the Astros. Baez will likely need to find a way to boost his fastball back up or to show prolonged success with a diminished arsenal before he's brought back up to the big leagues.

Baez agreed to a minor-league deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran right-hander was let go by the Astros in late April and will now have a reunion with the Dodgers. Baez allowed three runs over 2.1 innings for Houston this season, but the larger issue is that his fastball velocity averaged only 89.1 mph, which is a far cry from the mid-90s fastball he featured only two years ago. He was a staple of the Los Angeles bullpen and had a 3.03 ERA with 100 holds from 2014 to 2020, but since then he's fallen off considerably and will need to illustrate he's worthy of another chance in the big leagues.

The Astros released Baez on Thursday after he went unclaimed off waivers, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

As anticipated, none of MLB's other 29 teams were willing to put in a waiver claim for Baez, who was designated for assignment Tuesday less than a month into his second season with Houston after he signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal in January 2021. The Astros ended up getting just seven relief appearances from Baez, who missed most of his inaugural campaign in Houston with a shoulder injury. He reported to spring training at full health but showed a considerable decline in his velocity, with his fastball averaging just 89.1 miles per hour over his three appearances this season. Considering that he routinely worked in the mid-to-upper-90s during his prime years with the Dodgers in the second half of this past decade, the 34-year-old Baez may have a tough time re-emerging as an effective reliever at the big-league level.

Baez was designated for assignment by the Astros on Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez has appeared in only three games over the first few weeks of the season and gave up three earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Houston in January of 2021, but he only ended up pitching 4.1 frames last year before his early struggles in 2022.

Baez (back) made his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Nationals, issuing two walks while striking out one in a scoreless inning.

EDGE Analysis

A bout with COVID-19 along with shoulder and back injuries limited Baez to just four appearances with the big club in 2021, but he was expected to report to spring training at full health. However, given that Baez didn't make his debut more than two weeks into camp, it's fair to question whether he's in optimal condition as Opening Day draws closer. Though he was able to escape his lone inning of work unscathed, he threw just 11 of his 23 pitches for strikes and sported a fastball that sat in the 88-to-90 mile-per-hour range, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. That's roughly on par with his average fastball velocity during his injury-plagued 2021 campaign, but well below the mid-90s heat he routinely averaged over the prior seven seasons with the Dodgers. Even if Baez is deemed good to go for Opening Day, the Astros may not entrust him with handling high-leverage work right off the bat.

Baez (shoulder) won't pitch again this season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late September, and he's allowed four runs on seven hits and no walks in 2.2 innings across three appearances with the minor-league club. However, manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that the right-hander won't rejoin the major-league roster in 2021. As long as he remains on track during the offseason, Baez will likely be ready for the start of spring training in 2022.

Baez (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez began a throwing program in early September, and he'll return to game action just under a month after he was placed on the injured list with shoulder soreness. The right-hander is unlikely to require many rehab appearances, so he should be in the mix to rejoin the Astros' bullpen before the end of the regular season.

Baez (shoulder) tossed a bullpen session Sunday, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez continues to advance through a throwing program as he works through a setback with the right shoulder injury that has kept him on the shelf for most of the season. Assuming he continues to progress over the next week, Baez should have an outside shot to make it back for the final week of the regular season. If he does in fact get activated from the 10-day injured list before the regular season concludes, Baez's initial appearances could amount to a de facto audition for the Astros' postseason roster.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that Baez (shoulder) has resumed throwing off flat ground, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.

EDGE Analysis

Baez has been on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 24 after aggravating the shoulder injury that kept him sidelined to begin the 2021 campaign. He'll likely need to complete some sort of rehab assignment or series of simulated games before returning from the IL, so Baez is realistically at least a week away from being activated.